Star Wars - The Fall of the Old Republic
by Caedus Vitiate
Summary: Revan... Jedi, Sith, Hero, Villain... He was all these things, and yet he was nothing. Remade as a Jedi once more, he defeated Darth Malak and saved the Republic from the Sith Empire he himself created. But what if Revan had turned to the Dark Side again? Based on the Dark Side ending of KOTOR. Star Wars, its characters and affiliates all belong to Lucasarts and Disney.
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**Hello! Welcome and thank you for reading! This is a rewrite of my fanfiction; Star Wars: Fall of the Old Republic. I felt as though the story's pacing wasn't proper, and needed some rethinking. Not only is this rewrite including new detail, but instead of making each new post a chapter, posts will be pages of a particular chapter, and will be labeled as such. The reason for this is due to my thinking that the story is not like my other fanfiction, which is based on an anime. So this fanfiction will be written as a novel instead. Chapters will likely feature two to three characters and their individual stories as the war between Revan's Sith Empire and the Old Republic rages. Obviously, I will be using the end of the KOTOR game as a source for the first chapter, so that my story can be construed, possibly, as the Dark Side canon if the player chose that route. (Not saying it IS canon, but I will write it as best as I can, in order to make it believable.)**

 **Unlike the original, I will be starting earlier; the Battle of the Star Forge, where the renewed Darth Revan shall face Darth Malak. We start our new story on Lehon/Rakata Prime atop the Rakatan Temple...**

* * *

 **PROLOGUE : REBIRTH OF THE DARK LORD**

* * *

"It's over, Bastila!" declares the aging former Jedi, Jolee Bindo, gripping his lightsaber with both hands firmly. Juhani's lips tighten as she points the tip of her yellow bladed lightsaber at her former peer.

Revan's raven-colored hair wafts lightly in the breeze as he looks over at the young woman. Darth Malak had taken her... tortured her... and finally, turned her to the Dark Side. In his foolish arrogance, he had even made Bastila his apprentice, as if to taunt Revan.

"No, it is NOT over...!" Bastila breathes angrily, glaring at the Jedi standing before her. They had managed to get past the war droids and the Dark Jedi supplied to her for the purpose of stopping these fools... yet look at what good it did! Bastila grits her teeth and pushes herself up off the ground, summoning her lightsaber back to her outstretched hand with the Force. Her eyes rest squarely on Revan's face. "Revan... Look at what the Jedi Council has done to you... those fools turned you into their puppet; an instrument of their will! As they do to all who are truly strong in the Force... They lie about the Dark Side, yet manipulate their followers. They fear the Dark Side, and use it as a tool to control."

Revan looks down at Bastila, furrowing his brow. Yes... this he knew all too well. When he had discovered what the Council had done to him, Revan had sworn never to trust them. He accepted their teachings, their training, and yet they used him like a weapon.

"They forbade you and Malak from entering the Mandalorians Wars... Why was that?" Bastila presses desperately, standing on shaky knees. "Simple; they knew about your potential, how powerful you would become, and they feared that you would break free from their bonds. The Council used me in the same way they use you now. They only needed me because of my Battle Meditation; a weapon they could manipulate. But Malak showed me their hypocrisy, and freed me of that slavery."

"You're wrong, Bastila!" Jolee grunts. "Malak only filled your head with deceitful lies; HE is the one manipulating you!"

"Shut up old man!" Bastila retorts icily, leering at the old Jedi. Her furious eyes soften upon resting on Revan once more. "Revan... Malak underestimated you, as I have. You have far more power than I thought possible, given what the Council did to you. You, and only you, deserve to reign as the true Dark Lord of the Sith! Join with me, and reclaim your rightful place!"

"Reclaim my rightful place?" Revan murmurs audibly. "How can I reclaim such an identity, if I cannot even remember who I truly was before the Council wiped my memories?"

"Your mind was too badly damaged by Malak's betrayal, and the Council's actions, to ever fully restore your memories..." Bastila replies solumnly. But her voice regains vigor and purpose. "But your power, your will, who and what you are still remain!"

"And how do I know that you will not betray me again?" Revan asks, making Jolee and Juhani blink and stare at him, incredulous.

"I will never deny my passion again, Revan." Bastila coos to him. "I would gladly stand by your side... as your apprentice, and as your lover. I only swore allegiance to Malak because I thought you had lost the power you once possessed. And I was wrong; and so is Malak. I would much rather serve you, than Malak."

"No, listen to me! The Dark Side leads only to death and destruction!" Jolee urges Revan. "I've seen the horrors the Sith can unleash; turn away from this path! Even if it costs me my life, I cannot allow you to turn to the Dark Side!"

A light smirk appears on the lips of Revan. The time had come to make a choice... Take Bastila's offer, and destroy Malak, reclaiming his dark throne; or side with his Jedi allies. In the end, there was no difficulty in choosing.

"Jolee... Juhani..." Revan rumbles lightly. A sudden chill fills the air, and an oppressive, dark weight presses on all surrounding Revan. Revan takes two steps forward, keeping his back facing the Jedi. "Your lives do not need to end here. Bow before me, and I shall accept your pledge."

"A true Jedi would NEVER bow to a Sith!" Juhani growls. "If this is your choice, you leave me with none! I will fight, and stop you here!"

"A choice you shall not live to regret." Revan retorts calmly.

Juhani turns her lightsaber on Revan, and leaps at him with a primal screech.

"No! WAIT!" Jolee yells; but it is too late. Revan pivots on his left heel, thrusting his free left hand up and sending a powerful, rippling blast of the Force crashing into the young Jedi. Squealing in surprise, Juhani is thrown backwards through the air and smashes through a Rakatan statue, scattering white chunks of stone across the expansive rooftop. Roaring his battlecry, Jolee charges at Revan. He raises his lightsaber up over his head, bringing it down fast at Revan's right shoulder. But Revan's own purple blade intercepts Jolee's green saber with surprising speed.

Undeterred, Jolee quickly falls into stance, and attempts two rapid strikes at Revan's left thigh and the right side of his abdomen. But again, Revan, almost effortlessly, intercepts the slashes. Jolee attempts another overhead downward slash, but Revan's left hand shoots up, catching Jolee's hands, and the burning purple blade of his saber pierces through Jolee's heart; killing the old Jedi almost instantly. Revan pulls the blade back, and lifts the Jedi a few inches off the ground. With a casual smirk and help from the Force, Revan turns and tosses Jolee's corpse over the sculpted wall, allowing the Jedi to fall unceremoniously to the ground far below. Juhani, having just managed to pull herself out of the rubble, witnesses the death of her ally.

"NOOOOO!" Juhani screams. She blasts away the last of the rubble keeping her pinned down, and runs at Revan. Suddenly, Bastila attacks Juhani, whirling her dual-bladed lightsaber at the Jedi, forcing the Cathar to shift her focus from Revan. For a few moments, Juhani manages to hold her own; but Bastila's rapid slashes and thrusts of the crimson blades prevents the Jedi from making her own offensive moves. Bastila's eyes are alive with malice and hatred as she overwhelms her former peer with her fast attacks.

In a blur of scarlet, Juhani screams in pain as her lightsaber, and hand, suddenly separate from her. Gripping her right forearm in her left hand, Juhani sinks to her knees, shaking from the shock of losing her hand and the excruciating pain accompanying the loss. Bastila smugly points the tip of her lightsaber blade at the Cathar's throat, and shoots Revan a glance.

During the entire exchange, Revan has shown only a mild interest. He gazes down at the defeated Jedi, and remembers her struggle with the Dark Side; however pointless the reason had been. He saved her from it then, but he doubts that he can bring her back to it. Revan's eyes glance at Bastila, and then he turns away. As if this were her que, Bastila twists, bringing the backwards blade whirling around to cut through Juhani's neck. Juhani's head falls to the tiled floor with a dull thud, and her body, twitching, falls to the side. Bastila takes a deep breath, and deactivates her lightsaber. She turns to Revan and slowly walks over to him, her eyes staring lovingly at Revan's back. She stops a few steps away, and kneels, bowing her head briefly.

"The sacrificial blood of these Jedi shall consecrate this ancient temple in the name of the Sith!" Bastila breathes lightly, bringing her head back up to gaze upon Revan. "Today, here and now, Darth Revan has been reborn!"

Revan's expression is relaxed... stoic. He contemplates what this means. The rebirth of Darth Revan...

"My Lord, we will need to disable the energy shield around the temple so we can leave." Bastila informs Revan, standing up straight. "There is a computer, here on the summit, that can access the power generators."

Revan nods silently at Bastila, and she leads the renewed Dark Lord to the terminal she spoke of. She activates it, and begins entering commands.

"I am also deactivating the disruptor field that protects the Star Forge," Bastila tells him. "If left on, the Ebon Hawk would just crash into the planet again."

"Good work." Revan replies simply. A thought occurs to him as he watches Bastila work; with the Jedi dead, that still left the remaining members of the Ebon Hawk's passengers. Carth Onasi, Mission Vao, the Wookiee Zalbaar, the Mandalorian Canderous Ordo, and the two droids. He would have to decide what to do with them. Bastila utters an "Ah-ha!" as she completes her task.

"There, it's done. Now we can reach the Star Forge, and you can defeat Malak and reclaim your rightful place as Dark Lord of the Sith!" Bastila says with a vicious excitement. She turns to Revan, who suddenly places his right hand against her left cheek. Unable, or perhaps unwilling, to resist, Bastila lets Revan pull her into a light kiss.

"We have a lot of work to do, my Apprentice." Revan tells her softly.

"Yes... of-of course, my master..." Bastila replies in a hushed tone.

* * *

Carth Onasi paces across the soft sands of the beach where the Ebon Hawk had crash landed. While Revan and the other Jedi had gone to disable the disruptor field, he and T-3 had repaired the ship with the parts they scavenged from other crashed ships. The Jedi had been gone for too long; he should have heard from them by now...

"Carth, sit down and take it easy; you're starting to make me nervous." Canderous irritably barks at the Republic Ace.

"How can I?" Carth retorts, equally irritable. "They went up to that temple with those Rakatan people hours ago. We should have at least gotten a transmission from them by now."

"Hey, come on old man," the young Twi'lek, Mission Vao, teases. But she holds a certain level of reassurance in her tone as well. "They're three Jedi. And from what I've seen 'em do, they can take care of themselves, you know?"

Carth lets out a heavy sigh, and brushes his hands down his face.

"You're probably right." He says after a moment. Almost immediately afterward, the droid, T3, emits a quick series of excited beeps.

From behind a large boulder near the entrance to a narrow crevasse, Bastila appears several steps ahead of Revan, much to Carth's relief. He walks up to Bastila, and places his hands on her shoulders.

"Bastila, you're alive! Thank goodness." Carth says to the young woman. "I was worried about you; I was sure I'd never see you again once Malak got his... Wait... Where are Juhani and Jolee Bindo? Are they alright? Did something happen inside that temple?"

"Juhani and Jolee Bindo are... indisposed." Revan tells the Republic Ace in a calm tone.

"What? Indisposed? What is that supposed to mean?" Carth asks, concerned. Bastila laughs lightly, drawing his attention back to her.

"The Jedi are no longer your concern, Carth." Bastila taunts. "Darth Revan has been reborn. Together, we will destroy the so-called Dark Lord Malak, and seize control of the Empire. With its fleets, we will crush the Republic."

Carth lets go of Bastila's shoulders, staring at her in a confused horror, taking several steps back.

"Juhani and Jolee Bindo opposed this, and so they died for their foolishness." Bastila continues. "Now... Swear yourself to Darth Revan, or you too shall meet your death."

"What...? No... Never!" Carth retorts angrily. "We serve the Republic, you're no better than that scumbag, Malak!"

"Truly? I wonder about that." Revan chuckles coldly. "You serve the Republic, but... what about the rest of you?"

"The droids will, of course, serve you, my Lord. They are programmed to serve their master." Bastila informs the reborn Dark Lord. "Perhaps the others will choose to join us."

Bastila turns away from Carth, facing the other members of the Ebon Hawk's crew.

"Revan has returned. Who among you will now swear your loyalty to him?" Bastila demands. A grunt comes from the left; Canderous Ordo.

"You're Revan. It doesn't matter if you serve the Republic or lead the Empire; I will fight at your side." Canderous declares proudly. "We Mandalorians don't have any love for the Republic. Light Side or Dark Side - It makes no difference to me, Revan. I'll stick by you, no matter what comes."

Canderous' declaration of loyalty comes as no surprise. He and Revan have been fighting alongside each other since Taris. The two shared a warrior's bond; they had practically become sworn brothers through combat. The Mandalorian has Revan's respect, and the Dark Lord inclines his head to Canderous to show it.

"And what about you, Mission? Zalbaar?" Revan asks calmly.

"I saw what the Sith did to Taris!" Mission burst out furiously. "They destroyed so many people! They destroyed my home! I will never serve those monsters!"

Zalbaar lets out a conflicted series of grunts and growls, causing the young Twi'lek to blink in surprise.

"But.. Big Z! They're Sith! It's not wrong to break your life debt to those animals!" Mission argues, trying to convince her long time friend against what could potentially be the worst decision of his life. The Wookiee grunts and growls more in return. "No way, Zalbaar! I won't help the Sith fight the Republic; not even for you!"

Her words seemed to cause the tall Wookiee considerable distress. Carth walks over to Mission, and looks her straight in the eyes.

"You won't have to help the Sith, Mission." he turns to Revan, his eyes full of anger. "I should have seen this coming... I never should have allowed you to go into that temple. You showed signs throughout our journey, I should have known this was going to happen... I should have stopped you. But I see now that it's too late. I won't join you, and neither will I stand by and let you become leader of the Sith again, Revan."

"You say that as if you have the power to stop me." Revan replies, crossing his arms over his chest. "Carth, the Republic will fall; be it by the Sith, or something else. The Republic has grown weak; I alone can lead the galaxy back into an age of prosperity."

"By destroying planets and murdering anyone who gets in your way? No thanks." Carth retorts. Bastila makes as if to speak, but stops as Revan waves at her to stand down.

"Malak's methods are not my own." Revan replies. "Whatever I was before, I am not the same person now. Yes, I am going to reclaim my title as the Dark Lord, but I have a new vision for the galaxy; one that even you would find ideal."

"I doubt that..." Carth mutters, still standing firmly with his jaw set.

"So, you will not listen to anything I have to say?" Revan asks.

"As long as you say it as a Sith, then no. I won't." Carth replies with finality.

"Very well." Revan replies. He raises his right hand, and Carth suddenly lifts a meter off the ground, sputtering and gasping for air. After a short moment, the Republic Ace's eyes roll back, and Revan releases him, letting Carth fall to the ground; alive, but unconscious. Revan looks at Mission, who tries in vain to awaken her friend. "Mission; this is your last chance. Make your choice."

"Never!" Mission yells furiously, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll never, ever join the Sith! You'll... you'll just have to kill me!"

Such bravery in the face of death. It was a shame, truly, for one so young to be so foolish as this. There was still a way, Revan knew, that he could use to avoid taking such a measure against a mere child.

"Mission, Darth Malak is a brute, and as you said, an animal." Revan presses calmly.

"SUGGESTION: AND A MEATBAG, MASTER." the assassin droid, HK-47 adds in. Were it not for the seriousness of the situation, it would have made them laugh.

"His methods, are not my methods." Revan reiterates. "The Republic will not survive, but its end does not mean the end of the Galaxy. On the contrary; I will rebuild what has been laid to waste. Even Taris can be rebuilt."

Bastila remains silent, and Canderous watches on with a look of boredom. Revan walks over to Mission, bending at the knees down to her level near Carth.

"I do not kill needlessly, you know I don't. You have been with use all this time; you know me." Revan says softly. "I could have refused to help your brother, who even you now consider to be worthless. I could have killed Carth, but I didn't. It wasn't necessary. And you're right, I won't kill you either."

Revan extends his hand to the teenage Twi'lek. Who glances at it; her eyes pink and swollen from crying.

"You won't have to hurt anyone. You don't have to fight anymore." Revan says softly. "Come with us, and watch the Galaxy be rebuilt and prosper like never before. Come and watch the Galaxy heal."

Mission bites her lower lip, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"What are you gonna do with Carth?" Mission asks.

"Carth will be imprisoned, at least for a short while." Revan tells her truthfully. "If he cannot see how my way is right, then I will simply have to put him to work. Perhaps doing something for his homeworld, Telos. But as long as he does not give me reason to kill him, I won't."

Mission looks at Revan's still open hand, and then looks up at Zalbaar, who grunts lightly. Mission looks back at Revan, and tentatively reaches out with her own hand, placing it in his palm. Revan slowly stands, pulling Mission to her feet. He places his hand on her back and slowly leads her towards the Ebon Hawk.

"Canderous, secure Carth in the infirmary. T3, make sure he remains unconscious until I have dealt with Malak." Revan tells them as he lets Mission walk up the boarding ramp by herself. Bastila walks up to Revan, smirking.

"Well done, my Lord. You are far more cunning and thoughtful than Malak could ever hope to be." Bastila coos.

"I wasn't lying." Revan replies simply, gesturing at the other crew members to get aboard the ship. He steps out of Canderous' way as the Mandalorian hauls Carth into the ship, slung over his shoulder, with T3 close by. Revan looks at Bastila. "I said I have a vision, and I mean't it. The Sith shall rule, and it will do so as I see fit."

"Of course, my Lord." Bastila replies, bowing her head.

* * *

It had taken some time, but the final repairs to the Ebon Hawk go smoothly, thanks to T3. Revan steps out of the infirmary after checking to ensure Carth had received a proper dose of sedatives. Mission had retreated to her bunk in one of the crew quarters, and Zalbaar had taken to keeping himself busy in the cargo hold with Canderous and HK-47. Revan walks through the narrow halls, letting T3 pass him on its way to the infirmary, and he finds Bastila working on the holoprojection table in the conference room of the ship.

"The Republic fleet must have gotten the message Carth sent them after you all crashed onto the planet..." Bastila says aloud upon sensing Revan's approach behind her. She grins. "Perhaps we can use them to our advantage."

"Indeed. The Republic fleet will distract Malak, and we will be able to infiltrate the Star Forge." Revan says confidently, his hands clasped firmly against his lower back. But before Bastila can voice her agreement, the image of an aged, military woman appears above the holoprojection table.

"Admiral Dodonna to the Ebon Hawk, do you read?" the Admiral speaks, her voice slightly cracking somewhat from static.

"Admiral Dodonna," Bastila replies, taken by surprise by the sudden appearance. To her credit, Bastila quickly regains composure. "This is Bastila Shan, of the Jedi Order. We read you loud and clear."

"Bastila Shan, it is good to hear your voice. Carth's transmission told us that Malak had captured you." Dodonna replies, indeed sounding relieved.

"The Jedi sent to rescue me succeeded. Though, I am sorry to report... Carth, Juhani, and Jolee Bindo all lost their lives in the process." Bastila tells the Admiral, feigning regret.

"I see..." Admiral Dodonna replies, her brows furrowing. She looks to the left and closes her eyes. "Their loss is a great blow to the Republic, and to the Jedi Order. We could have used Carth for the battle."

Revan's own brows furrow this time. Of course, even now, the Republic only saw them as tools. Carth's loyalty to them was all the more ironic for it.

"We are preparing to pull back," Dodonna continues. Making Bastila look back at Revan, who shakes his head subtly. "We are suffering heavy losses ourselves. The defenses around the Starforge are greater than we anticipated."

"No, don't pull back, Admiral!" Bastila presses, looking back at Dodonna. "This is our only chance to board the Starforge and defeat Malak! If we don't destroy it, the Sith will use the Starforge to destroy the Republic!"

"We will try, but we won't last much longer; not unless you can use your Battle Meditation to turn the tables in our favor." Dodonna replies, still sounding concerned. She steps aside, and a small green being appears in the holoprojection.

"Master Vandar, it is good to see you alive." Bastila lies, but her voice sounds sincere.

"Surviving Jedi have joined the Republic's efforts against the Sith." Master Vandar tells her. "Your Battle Meditation may yet help us win this battle, but if Malak escapes, it will mean nothing."

"Malak will not escape." Revan says, stepping into view. "I assure you; Malak's reign of brutality will end today."

"Still, destroying the Starforge must take second priority to stopping the Sith threat once and for all." Vandar presses.

"Then send a Jedi strike team." Revan suggests, drawing a glance from Bastila. "They can slip past the Starforge's defenses and dock in the hangers. They can prevent Malak's escape if it comes to it."

"Agreed, these are my thoughts as well." Master Vandar nods.

"Bastila, you and... the Padawan... must join forces with the rest of the Order. Together, you will destroy the Sith threat forever."

"As you with, Master." Bastila nods.

"Then may the Force be with us all." Vandar says ceremoniously before the image of him and the Admiral disappears.

"Fools..." Bastila growls, but smirks. "Even Master Vandar did not sense that you had reclaimed your identity."

"The Jedi strike team and the Republic forces will provide us with a nice distraction while we hunt down Malak." Revan says, turning to Bastila.

"Yes, and while you slay the usurper, I can use my Battle Meditation to crush the Republic forces." Bastila says coldly. "All our enemies will be destroyed in a single, glorious day!"

She turns to Revan, laying her hands upon the breastplate of Revan's armor.

"You will once more rule the Sith, and together, we will crush the Republic, and rebuild the Galaxy as you desire." Bastila coos to Revan, reaching up a hand to run her fingers through his raven colored hair.

"You say that a lot." Revan says lightly. "Crush the Republic, crush our enemies... In time, you will see, as others will, that one does not always have to destroy their enemy to be victorious over them."

Revan grasps Bastila's hand in his lightly.

"For now, my love, we focus on getting to the Starforge." Revan instructs her.

* * *

 **Page 1 - Afterword**

 **Hello! I hope you are enjoying the rewrite of Star Wars - Fall of the Old Republic! While my initial story was praised, I felt that my pacing was off, and that a lot more could be added. Personally, there were instances in the game that I was not really happy with. Like killing Mission. The way she died didn't sit well with me personally, because it didn't feel like something Revan, Dark Side or not, would do. Or me, for that matter. Revan, even as the Dark Lord before Malak's betrayal, was very meticulous and waged war almost surgically. He didn't destroy what didn't NEED to be destroyed. And that is my reasoning behind letting Mission and Carth live on Lehon/Rakata Prime in this story.**

 **I plan to write Revan as more of a Lawful Evil, rather than the typical Chaotic Evil archtype Sith character. And yes, I will likely be making references to the Revan novel for certain sources, so I can stay as close to the established Old Republic Canon as possible. But certain events, obviously, will be changed or simply won't happen. I plan to have this story cover all the way, as the title suggests, to the Republic's fall, and possibly beyond, if I can come up with a decent manuscript for it! Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this Prologue!**

 **In the next update: Infiltration of the Starforge!**


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**Hello! Thanks for reading my story! I'd like to thank _Havoc-legionnaire, Kurlan Aank, Funguy2015, Ajaton12_ 3, and _Evolution_ for your comments! I hope you enjoy this update as well! Revan has once again embraced the Dark Side, and killed his Jedi allies. Bastila in tow, Revan returned to the Ebon Hawk, and gave what remained of his crew the choice to serve him. While the droids' loyalty was a given, and Canderous declared his desire to remain fighting alongside Revan, Carth and Mission chose to defy him. Revan rendered Carth unconscious, and set Mission at ease, assuring her of his supposed good intentions.**

 **Now, the reborn Dark Lord heads once more into battle, using the Republic fleet as a distraction to infiltrate the Starforge and face his former apprentice, Darth Malak. The battle of the Dark Lords will decide the fate of the galaxy; will Darth Malak's ruthless reign continue? Or will Revan's new vision take shape?**

* * *

Darth Revan sits, hunched forward, watching the scene unfolding before him as the Ebon Hawk races past Rakata Prime's outer atmosphere. In the distance, Republic and Sith Empire warships clash in a magnificent display of firepower. Starfighters on both sides of the raging battle dodge and weave between the larger vessels and bursts of turbolaser fire, picking each other off in droves. Several Republic blockade runners attempt to push forward, but an Interdictor Cruiser above them rains down a torrent of turbolasers, annihilating two of the ships. Revan can't help but find it to be almost artistic; a dance of life and death, desperation and beliefs crashing against one another, showering the emptiness of space with a dazzling example of sentient strife.

"There." Revan points out to the pilot, Canderous. "There's a gap in the Sith armada defenses."

"Got it." Canderous replies. He presses the controls forward, gaining speed, heading straight for the space between two Interdictors. The ship suddenly kicks to the side, almost throwing Revan from his seat. "Karking... We've got company! You guys get on those guns and keep those fighters off me, or this is gonna be a short ride!"

Without a word, Revan stands and rushes out of the cockpit, followed closely by Bastila. Revan climbs up a short ladder to the upper laser cannon turret, while Bastila sits at the controls to the smaller laser turret. The ship bucks again as Revan powers up the guns, but he settles into the tight space, activating the sensors, and begins taking shots at approaching Sith fighters.

"Ebon Hawk, this is Arden Korr." came a voice through the comm. "I'm leading the Jedi Strike Team accompanying you on the Starforge. We'll keep those fighters off you, you focus on the infiltration! We'll be right behind you!"

"We read you, Korr." Bastila replies, using a false sigh of relief. "May the Force be with you."

As the Ebon Hawk rockets past the line of Interdictor Cruisers, several Republic Aurek starfighters fall into formation around and behind the freighter. Several fighters break off to intercept the Sith starfighters, clearing a path for the freighter straight to the Starforge. Sensing the worst of the battle being behind them, Revan powers down the turret and climbs down the ladder, returning to the cockpit. He steps up behind Canderous, gripping the back of the pilot's seat with his left hand.

"Would you look at that..." Canderous says in an awed tone, staring at the enormous structure as they draw closer. "So that's the Starforge... it's gigantic...!"

"Is there an open hanger we can land in?" Revan asks, also staring at the imposing construct.

Canderous looks down at the scanners, pressing a switch several times.

"Yeah, there's a few." Canderous replies evenly. "Looks like that one's the closest. Hold on tight!"

Pushing the controls forward as far as they could go, the Ebon Hawk rockets towards the massive station, swerving and ducking past laserfire from the defensing cannons. The Mandalorian slows the ship down only to avoid crashing the ship within the hanger, and settles it down roughly. Revan heads for the boarding ramp as Canderous jumps out of his seat, hoisting up his repeating carbine over his shoulder. Revan adjusts his black robes and ensures that his lightsaber is secure on his belt before opening the ramp.

"Bastila, Canderous, with me. HK, Zalbaar, you two stay here and guard the ship." Revan orders as the boarding ramp hisses open. He offers Mission a curt nod. "You stay with T-3 in the Infirmary. Make sure Carth doesn't do anything stupid."

"O-okay." Mission replies tentatively, hurrying away.

Revan sets his jaw, and the three step down the ramp, and walk briskly across the hanger. To his surprise, several Jedi seem to be waiting for them. Revan gives Bastila a sideways glance, and Canderous grunts acknowledgingly. One of the Jedi steps forward as they approach.

"Thank the Force, you made it!" the prim looking woman says as they stop a few yards away. "Several other Jedi have already gone ahead; we have to strike now, while we still have the element of surprise!"

"We have to find Malak quickly," a male Twi'lek Jedi adds urgently. "Even if the Republic fleet is victorious, none of it will matter if the Dark Lord escapes..."

"Agreed, come with us, before..." the woman starts. She stops talking as the sound of a large door opening echoes through the hanger. Revan casts his gaze behind the Jedi as the woman and her Jedi team spin around at the sound. Nonchalantly, a tall, bald human surrounded by hooded Dark Jedi enters the hanger. His pale skin and sunken eyes make him look almost ill as he glares at the Jedi before him. The woman grabs her lightsaber and turns to Revan. "We'll deal with these Sith, you go ahead and find Malak!"

The tall Sith points wordlessly at the Jedi, and the Dark Jedi surrounding him sprint at their foes. The team of Jedi run to meet them, and the hanger is filled with the sounds of humming lightsabers clashing in rapid succession. Revan grabs his own lightsaber and activates it, causing the violet blade to jump to life with a loud SNAP-HISS.

One of the hooded Dark Jedi leaps over the fighting, landing squarely in front of Revan, who offers the darksider only a mildly interested look. Unconcerned, the Dark Jedi rushes at Revan; who effortlessly bats away the Dark Jedi's reckless slash at his left hip. Revan takes one wide swipe with his own saber, battering through the Dark Jedi's defense, and raises his free hand to seize the darksider with the Force. Revan wrenches his hand backward, drawing the Dark Jedi to him fast, and plunges the energy blade through the latter's stomach.

Bastila also joins the fray, cutting down her own challenger with relative ease. Revan gives Canderous a look, and the Mandalorian nods in understanding. Canderous opens a small satchel on his belt and takes out a small, circular object. Grinning, Canderous pushes up on a button with his thumb, and throws the object right into the center of the Jedi and Dark Jedi. The object rolls and taps against the Twi'lek Jedi's foot; who looks down just in time to see the ball detonate.

Screams of surprise and pain are drowned out by the horrific explosion, spewing flames in all directions. Revan and Bastila hold up their hands, forming an invisible barrier with the Force, sparing them from the blast. The flames quickly die out, and Bastila shoots Canderous a furious look.

"You fool!" she growls. "Did you really have to throw a thermal detonator?!"

"When you want a job done right, you don't hold back." Canderous shrugs, standing behind the two. "We don't have time to waste, right?"

Revan smirks while Bastila scowls at the Mandalorian. She turns, and sees that the tall Sith is still standing in the doorway, observing the torched, and some partially incinerated, corpses of Jedi and Dark Jedi strewn about the floor. Revan starts toward the Sith, who grabs and activates a dual-bladed lightsaber, standing defiantly and staring at Revan.

"Take me to Malak, or get out of my way." Revan tells the Sith, his voice heavy in the air.

"Or I can kill you now, and be rewarded for my service to the Dark Lord." the Sith scoffs.

"I am the Dark Lord." Revan retorts, his voice venomous.

"You were the Dark Lord." the Sith barks back. "Lord Malak rules the Sith now, Revan, not you!"

"Not for much longer." Revan replies flatly, raising his lightsaber with his right hand, pointing the end towards the Sith impeding his path.

"Such arrogance." the Sith sneers. He tilts his head, looking at Bastila. "Lord Malak had such high hopes for you. And yet you squander your chance to learn at the heel of the Dark Lord, by joining with a relic."

"You are a fool." Bastila spits back. "You follow a man who didn't even have the courage to face Lord Revan in combat."

"Lord Malak does as he sees fit. And it seems to have worked for him thus far." the Sith scoffs. "But enough idle chat; I am more than capable of defeating a Mandalorian, a fallen Jedi, and the husk of a former Dark Lord."

Without another word, Revan throws himself at his opponent, spiraling through the air, landing within arm's length of the latter. The two engage in a flurry of strikes so fast as to be a blur of purple and crimson. Revan presses the Sith, taking a step forward with every other slash, forcing the Sith to surrender more and more ground. Revan brings his lightsaber up high, and the Sith raises his saberstaff to neck height, ready to block the incoming slash. In that instant, Revan's left hand shoots forward, fingers curled like talons, and arcs of violet lightning erupt from his fingertips, crashing into the surprised Sith's chest. The sheer force of the blast of Dark Side energies sears his victim's clothes and flesh, hurling the Sith backwards.

The dark warrior crashes hard against the platform steps, expelling haggard breath from his tortured lungs. Revan steps casually, slowly, towards the Sith, cocking his head to the right, staring at the Sith with mild contempt. The Sith's glowing amber eyes glare at the former as he struggles back to his feet, to Revan's slight surprise.

"Still alive, then?" Revan asks in a mock stunned tone, "I suppose I should have put a little more effort into it."

The Sith's upper lip curls, his eyes burning with hatred for the man standing smugly before him. With a gutteral, almost animal roar, the Sith lunges at Revan. Revan only barely pulls his head back in time to avoid decapitation, now genuinely surprised by his opponent's speed. He grips his lightsaber with both hands, and falls into his defense, parrying blow after frenzied blow.

"Yes, that's better!" Revan mocks the Sith, using his lightsaber to slap away a slash aimed at his right hip. "Your anger gives you strength, your hate fuels your power!"

In a sudden move, Revan lashes out with his right foot, catching the Sith's right kneecap. The surprise move yielded success, as the Sith's joint gives way with a loud, sickening CRACK, followed fast by the Sith's shocked yelp of agony. Capitalizing, Revan knocks the saberstaff from the Sith's weakened grip, and seizes him by the throat with the Force. The Sith claws helplessly at his collar, struggling to free himself from the phantom hand of the Force. Revan yanks his free hand back, pulling the injured warrior through the air, and impales the Sith on the end of his awaiting lightsaber. Revan grabs the Sith's jaw, staring into his victim's eyes.

"You could have served me." Revan whispers icily. "But you are not worthy of the honor. None who follow Malak shall live past this day."

"Heh... heh heh... Lord... Malak will... destroy you..." the Sith gloats as his eyes begin to glaze over. Revan watches the Sith's eyes lose their light, and only once he felt the insignificant light blink out in the Force, does he deactivate his lightsaber and allow the lifeless Sith to slump unceremoniously to the floor.

"I rather doubt that." Revan mutters, more to himself than to the dead Sith.

* * *

Much to the reborn Dark Lord's chagrin, the Starforge was positively crawling with Dark Jedi and Sith troopers. Almost every hall, around every corner, the fools threw themselves into the trio's path. As Revan runs his lightsaber horizontally through the chest of yet another fallen Jedi, he wonders how many more would have to die before they would stand down and just let him pass? Was their loyalty to that fool, Darth Malak, truly so strong? Finally, the three reach a long, curving observatory hall. At first glance, the observatory seemed to be empty.

"This is it," Bastila says, almost eagerly. "The turbolift at the far end leads directly to the command center of the Starforge. Malak will be waiting for us there."

"I will take care of Malak myself. Neither of you are to interfere." Revan counters sharply. Canderous raises a brow, and Bastila appears aghast.

"You willl...? But, Lord Revan, Darth Malak is much more powerful than-" Bastila tries to argue, but stops when Revan waves a hand dismissively.

"Listen closely to me." Revan says with a calm urgency. He turns to his allies, and places a hand on Bastila's shoulder. "There is a great deal riding on not just Malak's death, but on this station. The Starforge must not be destroyed. For that, I need you two to stay out of my and Malak's battle."

"Can't say I'm happy to just leave you to face that slimeball by yourself." Canderous grunts. He heaves his carbine rifle onto his shoulder and shrugs. "But I guess if anyone can kill Malak, it's you, Revan."

"We've come far enough now. Bastila, I need you to use your Battle Meditation, turn the tide of the battle against the Republic fleet." Revan orders softly. "Canderous, I need you to guard her while she does so."

"Done." Canderous nods, furrowing his brow in acknowledgment of the command.

"There is a holoprojection room outside the command chamber, I can begin using my Battle Meditation from there." Bastila concedes. In unison, the three walk to, and enter, the turbolift Bastila had identified. It was, considering where they were, fairly uninteresting. The room is circular, and sitting in the center is a large holodevice. A blinking, jade-colored projection depicting the Star Forge itself, surrounded by hundreds of smaller blips moving about, greets the trio's eyes. Bastila steps forward, towards the projector. "This is it, Lord Revan. From here, I can-"

Before the fallen Jedi can finish, Bastila's body lurches in surprise as she is thrown bodily through the air backwards, slamming into the walkway at Revan's feet. The reborn Dark Lord kneels down to his lover, checking her for any wounds. Satisfied that she is unharmed with a nod from Bastila, Revan growls, baring his teeth and turns his attention back up towards the projector. Canderous heaves his carbine into a ready position as three hooded humans walk around the projector.

"What a fool you are, Bastila... For betraying Lord Malak, and twice the mistake for returning to the Star Forge!" one of the beings growls icily, his yellow eyes glaring at the young woman.

"A fool am I?" Bastila scoffs, standing with Revan, shooting a poisonous leer back at the man addressing her. "The only ones who can be considered fools are those who bow to Malak. Look, and see what stands before you; Darth Revan, the true Dark Lord of the Sith, has returned to reclaim his rightful throne!"

"Revan is nothing but a pale shell of his former self!" another hooded being grunts back, raising a fist threateningly. "Malak defeated him, and earned his title as the Dark Lord! And now, one of us shall become Lord Malak's new apprentice - by finishing what he started!"

A soft chuckling emits from Revan, who is gazing down at his feet. The chuckling grows into a full cackle as he raises his eyes to the ceiling, chilling the air. A sensation of dread, like palpable waves, wash over all others present, allies and enemies alike. Revan ceases his mirthless laughter, and peers down the bridge of his nose at the three Sith.

"Such audacity..." Revan hums, his voice deepened. Though his face is almost neutral, the sheer weight of his rising fury causes Bastila to take several slow steps away from her master. Revan inclines his head forward, his chin tilting down, and his eyes now leering from one Sith to the other. His gaunt, thin features become accentuated by the dim lights within the walkway floor, making his already sinister appearance ever more fearsome.

"Enough! I will kill him!" roars one of the Sith, charging forward, igniting a saberstaff as he bounds towards the trio.

Before Bastila and Canderous can act, Revan is already three long strides forward, his hands raised, and fingers curled. The Sith leaps in for the kill, only to be caught by the reborn Dark Lord in midair with the Force, and brought devastatingly hard down against the metal walkway. Revan throws his right hand to the left, and the stunned Sith's body is hurled against the far wall, his chest caving as he is smashed against a jutting corner. Reacting to the coming threat, the other two Sith quickly activate their lightsabers and fall into defensive stances.

Revan summons his own lightsaber to his raised right hand from his belt, igniting the violet blade with a loud hiss.

"Lord Revan-!" Bastila calls out to her lover, but is silenced with a short wave of his left hand.

In a blur of black and violet, Revan leaps at the two Sith. The two warriors separate, attempting to use flanking maneuvers to catch Revan off balance; but the enraged Revan proves to be quite capable of keeping up with both of them, step by step, blow for blow. Sparks fly as lightsabers clash, the floor juts and cracks under bursts of the Force. The two Sith are clearly masters in their own right, but Revan is greater still. Revan swings his lightsaber over and down, locking with the blade of one Sith. In a surprise move, Revan twists his wrist, causing the handle of his lightsaber to slam against the Sith's nose, audibly breaking it and forcing a surge of blood to spray down the warrior's chest and onto the floor. Taking the opening, Revan rams his left foot into the injured Sith's stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs and throwing the Sith to the floor as his compatriot attempts to take Revan's back.

But this only plays into the reborn Dark Lord's hand, and he spins on his heel, bringing his lightsaber around, catching the Sith off guard. The violet blade burns through the Sith in an instant; rending the surprised warrior in two from the left shoulder down to the right hip, killing him before ever hitting the hard floor. Slowly, deliberately, Revan turns back towards the injured Sith. For a brief moment, the Sith looks on with awe, but is quickly overwhelmed with fear. Scrambling to his feet, the Sith stumbles backwards, holding his lightsaber out with both hands, as if trying to ward off a Kath Hound with a flaming spear. A sudden SNAP-HISSSSS sounds behind the injured Sith, and a crimson blade erupts through his chest.

Sputtering in disbelief, the Sith shiveringly looks down at the burning blade of plasma. The blade retracts through the wound, and the Sith slumps to the floor, revealing a smug Bastila standing behind him. She spits on the corpse.

"Coward." she hisses. Her furrowed, furious eyes turn to Revan, and turn into a look of admiration. "My Lord."

"Well, that was fun to watch." Canderous grunts. "But we still have a job to do. Malak's all that's left; so let's get this done."

"Indeed." Darth Revan concurs with a nod, deactivating his lightsaber and clipping it back to his belt. His piercing eyes fall back onto Bastila. "You know the plan; use your Battle Meditation. Empower the Sith Armada, and weaken the Republic forces. Do not allow a single ship past the blockade."

"As you command, Lord Revan." Bastila replies, bowing her head.

"And I'll stick around here, and make sure no one screws things up." Canderous adds in. "Regardless of what happens, I'm honored to fight by your side, Revan."

The reborn Dark Lord offers a silent, respectful nod in reply before turning towards the large door opposite the one they entered. The hinges and gears of the door churn, opening the door and giving Revan passage. Without a further glance to his allies, Darth Revan steps past the threshold, and towards reclaiming his rightful place in the galaxy.

* * *

 **This... took far, far too long to write. I got halfway through a MONTH ago, and then suddenly got slammed with writer's block... I am SO glad I got over it!** **I really hope the next chapter doesn't take that long to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this "Page 2" of the first chapter of Star Wars - Fall of the Old Republic! More is on the way!**


	3. Page 3

**Hello! Welcome to Page 3 of Chapter One! I'd like to thank those who decided to follow this story, as well as for the comments! The time has come; the reborn Darth Revan moves to face his former friend and apprentice, Darth Malak, to reclaim his title as the true Dark Lord, and avenge himself for Malak's betrayal. Meanwhile, Bastila, under Canderous' protection, prepares to bolster the Sith armada with her Battle Meditation to crush the attacking Republic Fleet...**

* * *

Page 3

Supported by five blockade runners and over a hundred starfighters, Admiral Forn Dodonna's flagship, the _Restitute_ , makes a bold move to break through the increasingly precise and deadly Sith blockade. Meeting this threat, several Interdictor Cruisers move from behind the front lines of the blockade to intercept the Republic ships. Behind them, hundreds of Sith starfighters swarm, screaming past the cruisers at high speed. Settling into position, the Interdictors turn broadside against the coming threat, targeting the enemy cruisers with turbolaser cannons. Without hesitation, the Interdictors unleash a barrage of crimson lasers, blazing past their own starfighters, and obliterate the nearest Republic starship in seconds. The Sith starfighters break off from their head-on charge, turning into streaming arcs in order to come at the Republic ships' flanks.

Aboard the _Restitute_ , Admiral Dodonna gazes, horrified, at the tactical holoscreen shining at the center of the ship's bridge. The edges of her mouth droop, and it feels as though her heart had crawled its way into her throat.

"This... what happened?" the distraught Admiral laments. "We were breaking through... we were pushing them back...! But the tide of battle turned against us?"

She watches the display as blips representing other cruisers and starfighters blink out of existence, some in groups at a time. She shakes her head at the terrifying sight.

"The entire Sith fleet is reacting almost instantly to everything we throw at them? Their cruisers and starfighters hit their targets in perfect unison, in perfect strategic form! I've... I've never seen such precision in a fleet!" Dodonna chokes out, half terrified, half grudgingly impressed. "What changed?"

Master Vandar stands next to Admiral Dodonna, also closely observing the sudden shift in Sith tactical effectiveness. His eyes narrow.

"I have seen such a thing before - but never from the Sith... It's... almost as if..." Vandar's eyes widen with appalled realization, his hand rising to grip the collar of his deep blue tunic. "No...! Bastila... Bastila is using her Battle Meditation against us!"

Admiral Dodonna blinks, and her head snaps to stare at the Jedi Master, her expression further mixed with confusion and dread.

"That can't be," Dodonna replies quietly. "Bastila is on our side!"

Vandar's eyes close for a moment, and then open as he stares at the clean floor.

"No, she is no longer with us." Vandar almost whispers. "I thought I sensed something... different about her during the transmission, but I thought I was sensing the evil of the Star Forge itself... How wrong I was... Bastila has turned to the Dark Side, Admiral..."

Vandar raises his face to look up at Dodonna.

"Admiral, you _must_ give the order to retreat!" the diminutive Jedi insists urgently, but Dodonna shakes her head.

"I can't give that order." the Admiral replies, her tone sounding resigned. She turns to look through the forward transparasteel viewscreen, and stares at the massive structure of the Star Forge. "This may be our only chance to destroy that monstrosity. We've suffered too many losses now, if we retreat... We can't withdraw... we can't."

"...Then... you will lose this battle." Vandar replies, remorseful.

Outside the _Restitute_ , the battlefield is in chaos as turbolasers sear through hulls, and Republic starfighters explode as they are struck by enemy fire, or crash into cruisers as their engines give out. Nothing, not a single Republic cruiser or starfighter, manages to penetrate the Sith defensive line.

* * *

Darth Revan walks silently through a winding hall, accompanied only by the sounds of his bootfalls against the metal floor as he goes. Finally, he stops in front of a large door, gazing at it. He senses something beyond... Revan raises a hand, invoking the Force as he looks at the door's control panel, but before he acts his will upon it, the large door slides open, and the sight of two Jedi Knights, clawing at their throats against an invisible hand that strangles them, greets the reborn Dark Lord's eyes. Standing between them, almost stoic in his calm demeanor, is Darth Malak.

The Dark Lord's eyes flicker from the Jedi, to Revan, and the pale skin of his forehead wrinkles as he furrows his brows. Darth Malak takes several steps forward towards Revan, his hands hanging loosely at his sides, and stops mere strides away from his former master, ignoring the still struggling Jedi. For a brief moment, the two merely glare at one another. Malak grabs his lightsaber, igniting the blade with a loud _HISSSS._ He emits a short, electronic chuckle, and suddenly whirls around on the spot, hurling his lightsaber at one Jedi, while simultaneously unleashing a stream of forking lightning from the fingertips of his other hand. The lightning strikes first, instantly taking the life of its intended victim, while the whirling saber slashes the other Jedi's neck, separating her head from her shoulders. Both Jedi fall to the floor, one a charred husk, the other headless, as Darth Malak turns back to Revan, catching his recalled lightsaber in hand.

"This game between us, I tire of it, Revan." Malak growls through his steel jaw. "For too long have you been a thorn in my side... Ever since I first ripped the mantle of Dark Lord from you!"

Malak deactivates his lightsaber, and raises his free hand, curling his fingers into a tight fist.

"You have made a grave error in coming here, my old master." Malak taunts icily. "The Star Forge fuels me; it enhances my power of the Dark Side! You cannot defeat me here, and this time - you cannot escape!"

"You are mistaken, Malak." Revan retorts, feeling his anger seething. "Your betrayal failed, I am the Dark Lord of the Sith. I always have been, despite what the Jedi Council did to me. You would be wise to kneel, and beg for my leniency."

"Perhaps you have reclaimed your identity, Revan, but the power you once wielded is gone!" Darth Malak roars back furiously. "You are no longer the Dark Lord! You are _nothing_! You are not but an insignificant _speck_ of dust, beneath my notice! I have long surpassed you in every possible way, and I have achieved what you never could - I have unlocked the _full_ potential of this ancient Rakatan creation!"

Revan's eyes narrow coldly.

"What do you mean?" Revan asks gruffly.

"It makes sense that you would not know," Malak reflects. "But at one time, I believe you suspected what I discovered. But you never knew the truth of this place; the very walls are _alive_ with Dark Side energy... And now, I will call on the Star Forge itself to destroy you!"

Behind Revan, several strange-looking machines whir to life, making Revan take his eyes off Darth Malak. Using this brief advantage, Malak throws up his left palm, using the Force to hurl Revan away from the door, and slam him against the metal wall. Laughing, Malak turns away and closes the door, locking Revan out. The reborn lord hurries back to his feet just in time to witness an intense flash of light. When the light fades, a spider-like droid, armed with a top-mounted blaster cannon, comes clambering forward. All along the walls of the winding hall, similar machines flash with light, and more droids crawl forward. Revan's lip curls, and he summons the lightsaber from his belt to his open right hand, igniting the purple blade, and prepares himself for battle...

* * *

Canderous Ordo stands, arms crossed, watching the giant projection of the battle raging beyond the walls of the Star Forge.

"Huh. Too bad we didn't have this thing during the Mandalorian Wars." Canderous grunts. "We'd have built a fleet rivaling the one these Sith have; but better."

"If you don't mind, keep quiet." Bastila grunts, eyes closed and sitting cross-legged on the floor, keeping her back propped up against the projector itself. "I need to concentrate."

"Ha! Not for much longer." Canderous chuckles. "The Republic fleet is almost completely wiped out. They have less than a dozen cruisers left, and their fighters are falling like bogflies in a fire!"

"Thanks to _my_ Battle Meditation." Bastila pridefully retorts. "Now, _quiet_!"

* * *

The wreckage of several flaming Hammerhead-class Cruisers detonate within view of Admiral Dodonna's flagship as a swarm of Sith starfighters rocket towards her vessel. The ship's two defending starfighter squadrons bravely attempt to intercept, firing into the cloud of enemy fighters, but all of them are obliterated in moments...

The Republic Blockade Runners fire fruitlessly on the Sith fighters, a last attempt to defend themselves, but to no avail. The combined firepower of the Sith fighters and approaching Interdictor Cruisers overwhelm them completely. Aboard the _Restitute_ , Admiral Dodonna holds her left hand against her mouth.

"We've lost _another_ capital ship... It's... It's hopeless...!" the Republic officer laments in a defeated tone. She turns to her crew. "Give the order to pull back! All Republic forces - _pull back_!"

But the crew exchange a hopeless expression with the Admiral. Jedi Master Vandar lets out a remorseful sigh.

"It is... too late for retreat, Admiral Dodonna..." he says, looking up at the tactical display. "The Sith armada has us cut off. There is... no escape for us."

Admiral Dodonna looks down at Vandar, and then to her crew, her willpower alone holding back a river of tears waiting to burst forth.

"I am sorry, everyone. We tried." Dodonna finally says. "But hope is not lost. There will be someone else, one day, who will destroy the Sith."

Dodonna walks away from the tactical display with Vandar, stopping at the very front of the bridge to take one final glimpse of space. What true beauty, the galaxy is. And darkness will, she firmly believes, will one day be overcome.

"Helmsman. All ahead full. Ram the nearest Sith cruiser." Admiral Dodonna orders, her tone returning to one of stern confidence.

"Yes Admiral." the helmsman replies, sounding, in a way, relieved.

"If we are to die, it shall be on our terms." Dodonna declares. She and Vandar watch as the _Restitute_ closes fast on a Sith warship. "For the Republic!"

Her crew roars the same three words with finality in response. Master Vandar nods.

"And may the Force, be with us all." he adds in.

Surprised by the sudden charge, the Sith Interdictor Cruiser is unable to evade the speeding Republic capital ship, and the two collide in a dazzling explosion...

* * *

Darth Revan stands among the smoking wreckage of several dozen destroyed war droids, and gazes at the ruined machines that spawned them. He takes a deep breath, and turns back to the large door. His steps heavy, and his jaw set, Revan walks to the door, raising a hand to activate the door's control panel. The door, at last, opens and permits the furious man to pass. Revan walks along a narrow walkway as he enters the Command Chamber, and ascends the stairs, taking a moment as he walks to observe his surroundings. He easily identifies the controls situated below five tall transparasteel screens, showing the battle raging outside. Along the wall below the controls, are what appear to be a small number of Jedi prisoners. But when Revan reaches out with his senses, they feel... empty...

As he nears, Darth Malak, arms crossed and back facing his former master, turns to glare at Revan.

"I suppose I should have known. You did well; I was certain that the Star Forge's defenses would be enough to dispatch you, but clearly you have more of your former self alive in you than I expected you would." Darth Malak grudgingly admits, letting his hands fall to his sides. "Your power... it is greater now than it ever was during your reign as the Dark Lord; how that is possible... I do not know."

"You underestimated me, Malak." Revan replies coolly. "I have _always_ been more powerful than you. It is for that reason that _I_ was the master, and _you_ the apprentice."

Malak emits a bemused electronic chuckle as Revan slips his arms out of his cloak, letting it fall to the floor behind him.

"Perhaps, for a time, you were indeed superior to me. But I surpassed you in time. And the master must _always_ be stronger than the apprentice; it is for that reason I betrayed you that day."

"I was told that you fired upon my ship." Revan calmly growls. "You did not surpass me; you betrayed me from a distance. You were afraid... afraid of challenging me directly!"

As if his words were knives, Malak blinks and takes a step back, only to clench his hands into fists, his eyes burning with hatred.

"No! I was prepared to challenge you, Revan!" Malak barks back furiously. "But the Force granted me with a better option; an opportunity I saw and seized it! The trap the Jedi set for you only allowed me to act sooner than expected! Even if they had not attacked, I would have challenged you for the title of Dark Lord soon enough!"

Now, it was Revan's turn to laugh mirthlessly.

"Soon enough?" Revan retorts, bemused. "You knew that I was more powerful than you then, as you know it now. I would have killed you, just as I am going to kill you here and now!"

Darth Malak straightens his posture, readying his lightsaber with his right hand.

"You are eager to blood... as am I." Malak replies with an even tone. "Very well, I shall kill you, and prove once and for all that _I_ am the true Dark Lord of the Sith! The victor shall decide the fate of the Galaxy!"

In unison, the lightsaber blades of both Dark Lords erupt from their emitters, and clash against each other in a ferocious storm of crimson and violet. Malak favors wielding his lightsaber with one hand, allowing the reigning Dark Lord to spin his blade into tighter defensive parries, while permitting him to make intense counter slashes and thrusts. Revan's movements are fluid, favoring a terrifying mixture of the Lightsaber combat forms, as he expertly switches his lightsaber from one hand to the other, forward grip to reverse grip, giving him a wide array of assault options; all of which he utilizes.

An observer would be in awe of the sheer skill and speed of both combatants. At times, the two would engage in brief locks, while at other times, their strikes and counter maneuvers would appear as blurs to the naked eye. Neither warrior dared surrender ground. Taking advantage of a small opening, Revan slaps his blade against Malak's, forcing the crimson blade upward, opening Malak to an attack. Revan immediately capitalizes, bringing his lightsaber down in an angled horizontal slash. The blade bites through Malak's torso armor, burning a thin line across the Dark Lord's flesh. Using the momentum, Revan thrusts his left hand forward, hurling Malak backwards with a powerful Force Push.

Darth Malak slams against the platform wall of the controls above them, but quickly returns to his feet. He glances down at his chest, holding his free hand against the long wound, then raises his furious eyes to Revan once more. Malak steps forward, stopping only a few yards away from his opponent.

"You... continue to amaze me." Malak admits, breathing heavily through his nose. "Had you discovered the true power this station possesses, you truly would have become invincible. How fortunate for me..."

Revan stays rooted to the spot, listening closely.

"But... you were a fool, Revan..." Malak continues tauntingly. "The Star Forge, in your eyes, was nothing more than a gigantic factory with which your feeble mind only imagined creating an infinite armada coming forth to destroy the Republic and solidify your Empire... You were blind and stupid!"

"Are you trying to buy time to recover, or is there a point to this incessant chatter?" Revan challenges angrily.

"The Star Forge... is so much more than a factory. In a way, it is alive. It hungers, Revan, and can feed on the Dark Side within us all!" Malak declares, sounding oddly triumphant. He gestures to the Jedi still held up by the pod-like prison energies. "Look here, Revan. These bodies, do you recognize them? These are Jedi who fell when I destroyed the Academy on Dantooine! They are all, essentially, dead, save for one difference..."

"You..." Revan whispers, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes... I prevented them from joining the Force!" Malak declares, his voice rising. "Rather, I brought them back here, where the Star Forge corrupts all that remains of their power... and... transfers the tainted essence directly to me!"

Malak turns to one of the corpses, and raises his open, outstretched hand. A stream of reddish energy snakes out from the chest of a female Twi'lek Jedi, and soars across the room to Malak, washing over his arm and body; all the while, the Twi'lek Jedi's body shrivels, taking on the appearance of a long mummified corpse. Revan's eyes widen as he watches the long wound across Malak's chest heal almost instantly as Malak laughs.

"You cannot hope to defeat me here on the Star Forge, Revan!" Malak growls. "Not when I can draw on the power of these Jedi!"

Rejuvenated, Darth Malak leaps at Revan, who kicks off the floor to the right, avoiding the downward stab of Malak's lightsaber. Once again, the two engage in a flurry of lightning-fast slashes and parries. Revan breaks off, sliding backwards. Unrelenting, Malak raises both hands and unleashes a torrent of lightning against Revan, who barely manages to intercept the forking, deadly energy with his free left hand, using the Force to create a barrier. The lightning begins to push Revan back, inch by inch. In a bold move, Revan twists his body, guiding the Force Lightning away from his body, while simultaneously throwing his lightsaber in a furious spinning arc.

Malak, taken by surprise, is unable to stop the whirling blade from running through all of the Jedi he holds prisoner, severing them from their prisons. Malak's eyes widen with shocked realization, and he throws a look of enraged hatred at his former master.

"You...!" Darth Malak spits venomously, to which Darth Revan merely offers a smug smirk as he recalls his lightsaber back into his right hand.

"Your advantage is gone, Malak." Revan taunts haughtily. "You really should learn to talk less."

With a furious roar, Malak charges at Revan, and the two clash. Off balanced by Revan's taunts, and the loss of his source of additional power, Darth Malak's movements become more sloppy, leaving him open more and more often. Revan breaks through Malak's defenses, and aims a horizontal slash at Malak's armored neck, but Malak draws his head back just in time, though suffering a cut to the bottom of his mechanical jaw. Furious, Malak attacks, but Revan batters right through the assault, cutting thin, burning lines across Malak's left arm and right thigh. Desperate as Revan moves in, Malak roars and unleashes another torrent of Force Lightning upon Revan. The act surprises Revan, hurling his lightsaber out of his hands, but Revan manages to catch the dark side energies in his palms with the Force.

Though pushed back several feet, Revan begins to slowly approach Malak, pushing against the raging lightning, much to Darth Malak's wide-eyed horror. Summoning his own dark power, Revan's hands ignite with purple lightning, pushing against the blue stream of Malak's own. Unable to defend himself, Darth Malak's body is engulfed in the searing, intense Force Lightning unleashed by Revan, and the former screams in agony as he is thrown bodily through the air. Malak crashes against the metal floor with a loud thud and clang as his head hits the ground. Twitching, Malak attempts to stand as Revan walks to him, stalking around to stop behind Malak like a Tuk'ata preparing to leap upon it's prey. Malak's mechanical wheezing is now the only sound that either can hear; all else, even the battle slowly coming to an end outside the Star Forge, seemed non-existent.

"It... it isn't possible... I... am the Dark Lord of the Sith...!" Malak struggles to speak, only able to rise to one knee.

"You're wrong, Malak." Darth Revan replies, his heavy breathing starting to calm. " _I_ am the true master of the Sith. I always have been. And now, once more, I reclaim my title, and _my_ Empire."

Revan raises his right hand, summoning Malak's lightsaber into his awaiting palm, reigniting the burning crimson blade as he gazes down, expressionless, at his former apprentice. Malak emits a short, painful chuckle.

"Yes... I cannot deny this..." Malak admits, accepting his coming fate. "The only one... who deserves to be the... who deserves to reign as the Dark Lord... is you... Revan... And... as the darkness takes me... I... I am nothing..."

Without a word, Revan raises Malak's lightsaber with both hands, and brings the blade down at an angle, slashing through the defeated Sith Lord's back, spine, and lungs with a single stroke. Darth Malak slumps forward, killed almost instantly by the strike, and Revan leers down at his former apprentice.

"You were never meant to rule." Revan whispers. "But I should thank you for your betrayal, Malak. Without it, my power would not have grown to this level. So for that, you have my sincere thanks."

Quietly, Darth Revan deactivates Malak's lightsaber, and summons his own back to his left hand, and clips them both to his belt. Revan walks away from Malak's corpse to retrieve and don his cloak from the floor. Pulling up the cowl, Revan steps up to the controls of the Star Forge, staring out into space to enjoy the spectacle of the Republic Fleet's destruction...

* * *

Several weeks have passed since the Battle of the Star Forge. Since the event, the Sith armies invaded Rakata prime, slaughtering the remaining remnants of the Rakata themselves, and established themselves on the world. From the balcony of a Rakatan Temple, Bastila looks out over hundreds of Sith soldiers, as well as a gathering of Dark Jedi who declared their allegiance to Darth Revan upon Malak's death. The troops and war droids stand in perfect rows, forming several tight squares, all gazing upwards at the former Jedi.

"Malak's death has come at the hands of the only one who truly rules this Empire! His betrayal has been avenged!" Bastila calls out to her cheering crowd. "Now, all hail Darth Revan - the true Dark Lord of the Sith!"

Darth Revan, now wearing a much more regal outfit bearing a resemblance to the one he wore before Malak's betrayal, save for the lack of his mask, walks forward, arms clasped against the small of his back. The breeze nudges the edges of his hood and coattails. The soldiers below erupt into loud cheers that could shake the sky itself, all chanting: "All hail Lord Revan!" over and over. Yes, his time has come again. Even as they chant, the soldiers and war droids kneel, bowing their heads in a show of obedience.

"All Sith bow before you, as they should. For you have reclaimed the throne that is rightfully yours!" Bastila lovingly says to her master, also kneeling at his side. She now wears an outfit similar to Revan's, though less regal in appearance, and rather than coattails, her legs are hidden behind the outfit's dress. "The Jedi Order is practically in tatters, and the Republic is on retreat from sectors across the galaxy as they attempt to bolster their defenses in the Core Worlds. It is only a matter of time before your forces wipe the Republic and the Jedi from the face of the galaxy!"

"As I said, my love, destruction is not the only way to defeat one's enemies." Darth Revan replies with a dark smile. "In time, you shall see what I mean."

"Yes, my Lord." Bastila replies gladly.

* * *

 **WHOO! So! Not wanting to let a ton of time go by before I could write another page, I decided to play Knights of the Old Republic again for inspiration! And it helped A LOT. Fortunately, I had a save file where I left off on Rakata Prime/Lehon just before entering the Rakatan Temple. (I really hate that puzzle you have to solve on the floor before the door opens on the upper floors!) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this page! But this is where things really kick off story-wise. There is going to be a slight time skip, probably just a couple months or so, for... you know... plot characters. XD The major difference between this Dark Side ending and KOTOR's, is that I wont have Revan charging off into the Unknown Regions by himself. There are a few things from the Revan book, and KOTOR 2 that I will be referencing throughout this story, but I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for reading Star Wars - Fall of the Old Republic, and I'll see you guys when the next page is ready to post!**


	4. Page 4

**Hello! Thanks for reading my story! You may have noticed that the first page was titled as Chapter One, but I decided to treat that as a mistake, and changed it to be a Prologue. This is because I wrote the chapter, using the end of the KOTOR game as a base to write my version of the Dark Side ending. So, that in mind, this is where Chapter One actually begins! I'd like to thank everyone for the comments and the follows for the story! I am glad you enjoyed the start of this story, and I hope that I continue to entertain you all!**

 **Darth Revan, having reclaimed his identity, charged aboard the Star Forge, determined to face his usurper, Darth Malak. Cutting a swath through Dark Jedi and Sith alike, Revan finally came face to face with his one-time apprentice, and close friend. Though Malak had prepared for the battle, he was ultimately unable to best his former master, succumbing to Revan's might. The Republic fleet attacking the Star Forge was lost, and with it the Jedi Master Vandar. Now, having reclaimed his dark throne, Revan plots his first move as Dark Lord of his reclaimed Sith Empire...**

* * *

 **STAR WARS**

 **FALL OF THE OLD REPUBLIC**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER ONE - FOR THE REPUBLIC**_

* * *

The sound of slow drops of water escaping a cracked pipe stabs at the silence in his dark cell. Carth Onasi, once regarded as one of the Republic Military's finest, now sits with his face buried in his palms, his body aching and his mind drowning in misery. How could this have happened, the ace pilot asked himself over and over. How did he not see this coming? Why did he let Revan go to the Rakatan Temple, accompanied by only Jolee Bindo and Juhani? For the thousandth time, Carth curses himself, and Revan. So many... so many died just a few short weeks ago... Thousands of good men and women, interested only in saving the Republic from the brutality of the Sith... All because of him... All because he failed them... Again.

Carth lets out a ragged breath, pushing his hands up to his scalp, and running his fingers through his hair. How long has he sat in this murky darkness, the man wonders. Long enough for the stubble on his face to grow at least an inch, he surmises with a tug of his fingers. A large portion of the Republic Fleet had mobilized for the assault on the Star Forge; at least, such is what Bastila had told him when she gloated to him of its destruction. The Republic would never kneel to Revan or the Sith, he had retorted; only to have the fallen Jedi laugh mirthlessly back at him.

 _"Then all those who fight against the will of Darth Revan and the Sith will die."_ the traitorous young woman had icily cooed back. That conversation had been three days ago, and he had not received more than a small ration of sustenance since then. Just feeling around his face and body, it was clear that the Sith are slowly starving him, hoping to break him with desperation; but they would not have the pleasure... He would die, and give them nothing. And, flaunting his influence, Revan had brought Carth's own son, Dustil, to watch them torture Carth. They demanded that he reveal identification transmission codes so their warships could pass unseen into Republic Space. He knew why; they wanted to switch tactics. Malak had been using brute force to conquer worlds, but that left every world the Sith touched scarred and scorched. Millions died with every planet that fell, but under Revan's returned rule, they were apparently taking a different route.

But he doesn't care; even if the Sith turned around and started supplying aid to the worlds they ravaged, they would still be monsters. The sound of a door sliding open catches the Republic Ace's attention, though he does not raise his head to look. The door to his cell creaks open, admitting a pair of Sith soldiers to enter, followed closely behind by...

"Dustil...?" Carth mumbles, his throat sore from a lack of water.

"Father." the young man contemptibly replies, offering a repulsed leer. He is wearing the standard grey uniform of a Sith officer, further signified by the single red patch over his left pectoral, and carries what looks like a lightsaber hilt locked onto a small magnetic pad on his belt. Dustil maintains a straightened, professional stance as he stands flanked by the two soldiers. "You look awful." his lip curls. "And you smell worse."

"Yeah well, my accommodations don't really allow for regular bathing and a change of clothes." Carth replies ironically.

"Quite." Dustil grunts. He motions to the two soldiers with a nod, prompting the pair to leave the young man alone in the cell with his father. For a long, tense moment, Dustil only leers down at his progenitor. Finally, he speaks, his tone lowered. "You had so much promise."

"If you mean that by working for the Sith, then you'd be wrong, Dustil." Carth replies, shooting a glare at the young man.

"And why not?" Dustil barks back harshly. "The Republic is stagnant, dying. Lord Revan knows this, and even the Republic itself cannot help but admit its humility before the Sith Empire."

"And what makes you think that the Sith are so much better than the Republic?!" Carth growls, pushing himself off his cot to stand face to face with his son. "The Sith are murderers, Dustil! They don't build, they only destroy! Look at what they did to Telos! They murdered your mother, and took you away from me!"

To Carth's surprise, Dustil's eyes seem remorseful, even if only for a small, minuscule moment. Realization hit Carth like a bag of bricks; deep down, his son was in pain.

"Lord Revan gave you a chance, and that you are not dead yet should be proof enough of his mercy." Dustil retorts angrily. "Lord Revan has even told me that he plans to restore what Malak has destroyed! Even Telos!"

"He's only saying that to keep you loyal to him, Dustil!" Carth argues desperately. "As soon as you are of no use to him, he'll kill you!"

Dustil chuckles, shaking his head and looking briefly at the floor before locking his eyes with Carth's.

"You had the honor of travelling with him, fighting along side him, seeing his true self, and yet still you cannot accept it." Dustil growls back. "He's told me all about your inability to trust others. You are suspicious and leery of everyone, even your own allies. You think everyone and everything out there will betray you. But you are the one who has betrayed, father."

"No, I have never betrayed anyone!" Carth hollers furiously, hurting his throat. "I have loyally served the Republic my entire life! I was loyal to your mother, to you! I was always loyal to those that I cared about, to my troops, to everyone! Revan betrayed the Jedi, Revan betrayed the Republic, and then he betrayed himself! His lust for power will be what ultimately gets him killed, and every single Sith that serves him will meet that same end!"

Dustil merely leers at Carth, who glares right back.

"Your mother would be ashamed of what you've become, Dustil. " Carth tells the young man, slowly sitting back down on his cot. "I never wanted any of this for you... Revan is responsible for what happened to Telos, and for what happened to so many others. I will never betray the Republic to the Sith, not even for you, son."

He looks up at Dustil, and notices that the boy's eyes were transfixed on a small camera, though his face was still pointed at Carth himself. Dustil's eyes widen when the little red light blinks off; and with agility Carth was not expecting, Dustil turns and leaps out of the cell. Carth only hears a surprised shout, and two blaster shots. Stumbling, Carth hurries to his feet and slowly approaches the door. The scene before him leaves the man perplexed; Dustil stands over the bodies of the two Sith troopers, holding up a blaster rifle.

"Dust... Dustil... what...?" Carth stammers, unable to understand his son's actions.

"We don't have time to chat." Dustil growls, checking the blaster rifle over. The young man shoots his confused father an irritated glance as he moves to check the hallway. He waits for a moment to listen for any signs of incoming, but is relieved to hear nothing. Dustil walks up to Carth, who tenses. He feels the shackles on his wrists and ankles release, and clatter to the floor.

"You have five minutes to get out of here; that's all the time I could afford to get you." Dustil says harshly, ushering his father towards the cell doorway. He peers around the corner. "Good, the guards are still away. This is your only chance. Here, take this."

Carth's son shoves a tiny device into his hand, and pushes him towards the detention area exit.

"Dustil, I..." Carth starts, but is interrupted when the boy pulls him into a hard, but brief hug.

"There's no time, Dad." Dustil tells him, releasing his father and slapping the blaster rifle into Carth's hands. "That device will let you take one of the transports in the hanger. Take one and get the kriffing hell out of here. I don't care where you go, just don't get caught again."

Carth's eyes start to water, but he pushes the tears down and nods.

"I'll find you, Dustil. I promise." Carth tells his son before bolting down the hall as fast as his feet could carry him.

"...I know you will... Dad." Dustil mutters quietly, watching his father flee and disappear around a corner. He fights back tears of his own, and recomposes. Five minutes is all the time either of them had now.

* * *

Carth rounds the corner of a long hallway, taking special care not to be noticed by the occasional pair of Sith troopers patrolling the grounds. Before, he had no idea where he was being held; but after listening to a conversation here and there as he quickly moved towards the hanger bay, Carth discovered that his incarceration was on the planet Ord Radama. He knew of the world; once a marshy planet, cities soon overtook the surface. Before the Jedi Civil War, the planet was used as an ordnance depot for that region of the galaxy. But now, the Sith control it. Carth can only shudder to think what type of treatment the Devlikks were receiving at the hands of their new overlords.

Pushing the thought from his mind and focusing on the task at hand, the Republic Ace finally finds his way into the hanger bay. Incredibly, he had managed to do so without detection; likely due to the overconfidence of the Sith guards. Taking it slow, Carth hides behind various supply crates as he approaches the nearest vessel; a Herald-class Shuttle. He looks around, and notices a young human man, probably no older than his mid twenties, checking off a list. The young man is dressed in the formal grey officer's attire, and seems engrossed in his task. He never sees Carth's quick approach. Suddenly, an alarm blares, surprising both of them. THe young man notices Carth, but too late; Carth swings the blaster rifle at the youth, catching him in the side of the head. The young Sith utters a surprised, pained yelp and crashes into a stack of supply crates, knocking them down.

The event does not go unnoticed, even over the blaring sirens. Several Sith Troopers spot Carth, and begin firing at him as the Republic Ace runs up the shuttle's loading ramp, returning a few shots with his own stolen rifle. Carth hits a switch on the wall, closing the loading ramp behind him as he hurries to the cockpit. He hears the ship being peppered with blaster bolts as he pulls the small device Dustil gave him from his pocket, and slides it into a keycard slot. The ship's computers whir to life, and Carth, relieved at the sight, immediately begins turning on all of the shuttle's systems. Within moments, the craft's engines roar awake, and the repulsors lift the ship off the hanger floor. Carth recklessly engages the shuttle forward and out through the closing hanger blast doors.

Seconds later, he finds himself under fire from the prison's anti-aircraft turrets. Fortunately for him, the automated turrets are relatively easy to predict, and avoids being vaporized before ever reaching the planet's upper atmosphere. An alarm chimes, notifying Carth that the ship is being locked onto by Sith Buzzard-class Starfighters. The shields absorb the brunt of the first wave of fire, but he knows that the shields wont be able to stop a second. He pilots the shuttle past a pair of Interdictor-class Cruisers as fast as the shuttles engines can provide; though he picks up several more fighters doing so.

"Come on... come on..!" Carth growls, glancing down at his navicomputer. Finally, the hyperdrive shows a full charge, and Carth thrusts the switch handle forward, hoping and praying that he can escape before the Sith ships can activate their interdictor fields. To his joy, the stars become straight lines of white light, and the Herald-class Shuttle disappears into hyperspace...

Realizing he had been holding his breath, Carth heaves a heavy sigh, leaning back into his seat as he places his palm over his eyes. He lets his hand slide off his face, and stares into the swirling blue of hyperspace, trying but failing to not think about what kind of fate awaits his son...

* * *

A crimson-bladed lightsaber clatters to the hard floor of the Trayus Academy, followed quickly by a sudden and intense wave of the Force. A figure is thrown bodily through the air, crashing into a pillar and dropping to the floor. In his stubborn refusal to die, the self proclaimed Darth Sion slowly heaves himself up from his prostrate position on the floor. All around the expansive chamber, the bodies of Sith acolytes and Dark Jedi litter the floor; some stabbed, and other either cleaved entirely in two, or missing their heads.

"I... cannot die... you are wasting your time..." Darth Sion growls defiantly. "No matter how many times you strike me down... I will rise again and again..."

Sion is slowly covered in the shadow of Darth Revan, who leers down at him with glowing yellow-red eyes from the shadow of his cowl. Bastila Shan stands near the chamber's entrance, smirking.

"Yes, you are _quite_ stubborn, Sion." Revan concurs, his voice sounding gravelly with the lowered tone. "But you are also _weak_. All you can do, is irritate me."

Sion tries to stand up, but Revan irritably flicks his right wrist, flinging Sion across the room and crashes him against the far wall. He pulls his outstretched arm back, dragging Sion back through the air and smashes him through a thick pillar. Sion falls, almost fully buried in the debris.

"How long did you think your so-called Triumvirate would last? How long before it would draw my notice?" Darth Revan implores darkly. "I will ask one last time; _where_ is your Master?"

Sion pulls himself out of the rubble, and laughs.

"I have... no Master..." Sion replies, coughing dust from his lungs. "I and my fellow apprentice... Darth Nihilus... destroyed the haggard witch... We tore the Force from her... She is nothing now."

"Is she dead, or not?" Bastila asks, stepping up beside Revan. "Tell us her name, you fool!"

"I do not know... Nor do I care." Sion growls, still ever defiant. This time, he remains on the ground, drained of stamina. "But if she lives... I hope you find her... and crush her before she can cast her webs again... Her name is... _was_... Darth Traya... But before that... Kreia..."

Revan's eyes narrow; the name felt familiar, even though he had not met her... at least, not that he could remember. Could it be possible that he knew Kreia? Before he can consider the thought, Sion speaks again, grinning.

"You should know her..." Sion says pointedly to Revan. "After all... she was _your_ Master too..."

Revan is visibly taken aback by the revelation, causing the edges of his mouth to drop into a frown. If that was true, then this Kreia would likely be able to help him fill in the gaps of his past that the Jedi Council stole from him! This was certainly worth looking into.

"And Nihilus?" Revan inquires, growing impatient. When Sion offers only a smug grin, the crimson blade of Revan's lightsaber leaps to life, and the Sith Lord raises Sion into the air, pulling him close and plunging the blade to the hilt straight through Sion's gut. Sion gasps, his good eye widening in surprise. His body shudders as Revan slowly raises the blade a few inches up Sion's torso. " _Answer me._ "

"Agh..! I... KUGH!" Sion sputters. "Nihilus... does not stay in one place... not for long..."

"Then where does he go?" Bastila presses.

"He... remains in the shadows... of the Outer Rim..." Sion tells them, agonized. "But you will not find him... and by the time you _do_... he will be too powerful, even for you..!"

"Why do you believe that?" Revan asks in almost a whisper, driving the blade another few inches upwards and into the bottom of Sion's rib cage.

"Nihilus... feeds on the Force... of all living things..!" Sion warns them. "He consumes all life... even entire planets are not safe... from his _hunger_."

"He can consume the Force of an entire planet?" Bastila repeats, sounding both horrified and largely unconvinced. But Revan's eyes narrow.

"Then he is a threat to my rule." Revan says simply, deactivating his lightsaber and allowing Sion to drop to the floor. He looks down at Sion with a somewhat disgusted gaze. "You, on the other hand, are nothing. The Force flows through you, keeping your body alive... But what are you if not already dead?"

Darth Revan lowers himself, crouching over Sion's exhausted body.

"You defied me, tried to split my Empire; and yet you ultimately failed." Revan admonishes. "You and Nihilus destroyed your own Triumvirate before I ever found out of its existence. And so you stood alone against my wrath; that is not bravery, or even confidence, it is stupidity."

"Yes... I see that now..." Sion admits, sounding just as mentally exhausted as his body. "I allowed the promises of greater power... the squirming lies to crawl into my mind... I should never have turned against you..."

Sion turns his head to look Revan in the eyes.

"But you were considered dead... killed by Darth Malak..." Sion tells Revan somberly.

"You should have known better." Revan grunts as he straightens back into a standing position, towering over Sion.

"That is true..." Sion concurs. With all his remaining strength, Sion manages to raise himself into a kneeling position, using his forearms to stay up. "I... may still be of use to you... Allow me to serve... and correct my mistake..."

"And why should Lord Revan do that?" Bastila hisses angrily. "You already turned away from the Sith Empire to form your own; why should we believe you will not simply do the same once you have recovered your strength?"

Revan stands silent, allowing Bastila to speak for him, and gazes down at Sion in mild interest.

"No... I see the folly of such a thing... I am not so stupid as to attempt the same thing again. I studied at your academy on Korriban... before Kreia filled my head with her venomous words..." Sion raises his head to look at Darth Revan imploringly. "Forgive my weakness, and allow me to prove... my undying loyalty... Lord Revan..."

For a long moment, Revan stands silently, his hands clasped together against his abdomen as he considers the request. Intelligently, Bastila only throws a disapproving look at her master, but also remains silent. Finally, Revan takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a brief time, and then glares at Sion.

"Forgiveness is not the way of the Dark Side." Revan answers coldly. "And neither is mercy. You defied me once; there are no second chances."

Before Sion can even think to move, Revan's hands fly forward, unleashing a storm of forking bolts of violet lightning. The sheer heat of the blast causes Bastila to stumble back, and she shields her eyes from the intense light with her hands. Sion's screams last only a few seconds as his flesh and bone are torn asunder and incinerated, leaving only a smoking pile of ashes in his place.

"Darth indeed." Revan scoffs. He turns away from the ashes and looks at Bastila, who offers a knowing nod. "I want Darth Nihilus and Kreia found."

"We will exhaust all of our resources to locate Nihilus, my Lord." Bastila replies, bowing her head. "Not a single world will go without a thorough search. We will find this so called Darth. As for Kreia; I know who he speaks of. She was once a Jedi Master... But her beliefs became increasingly radical; so much so that she was held in low regard by the other masters. She eventually left the Jedi Order. This explains what she did afterward..."

Bastila glances around the chamber, raising a brow at the mess of bodies.

"Do you have use for Trayus Academy, my Lord?" Bastila asks, prompting Revan to cast a meandering gaze around the chamber as well.

"I believe that we have some free time." Darth Revan replies after a moment of thought, setting his lightsaber to the magnet on his belt. He steps over a headless Dark Jedi's corpse, and begins a slow exploration of the academy, with Bastila in tow.

For the most part, the Trayus Academy is visually unremarkable; two long, curving halls were lined with doors leading to the quarters of those who studied here. They search every hall, every chamber, even the proving grounds seemed to hold little of interest. It isn't until they reach the Trayus Core, that the pair discover the source of the powerful Dark Side presence enveloping the ruined world.

"Amazing..." Bastila whispers at the sight. She closes her eyes and stops. "I've never felt such... raw power... The Dark Side is so strong here... Stronger even than on Korriban..!"

"Yes..." Revan mutters, leaving Bastila behind as he walks to the center of the Core. He mentally notes that there are two other bridges extending from the Core; places he would search in time. For now, the Dark Lord stands, letting the dark energies of the Core flow freely through him, invigorating him and eliminating the exhaustion he experienced battling Darth Sion and his horde of followers...

And then, as if someone had lit a flame in the recesses of his mind, memories flood into his consciousness. Revan staggers, prompting Bastila to run over to him from by the bridge leading back to the Academy.

"Lord Revan!" Bastila ducks under Revan's right arm, using herself as an anchor to keep the Dark Lord from falling to the floor. "Revan..! What is it? What happened?!"

"I... I remember..." Revan shakes his head, as if trying to ward off a fly. His left hand shoots up to cup his forehead as a pain jolts through his skull. After a few moments, Revan allows Bastila to help him stand straight again, though his hand remains over his eyes, as if the crimson and green glow around them was as bright as a star. "I came here alone... during the Mandalorian Wars..."

"Yes, you defeated the Mandalorians here." Bastila tells him, sounding worried.

"No, before that..!" Revan barks irritably, causing Bastila to flinch in surprise. Revan takes a deep breath, and lets his hand fall, slowly opening his eyes. "The Mandalorians feared this world... and I came here to find out why... and then I used its power..."

Darth Revan shakes his head once more, which he immediately regrets, as doing so gives him a throbbing headache.

"This is where my journey through the darkness began..." Revan whispers, sounding almost in awe of his rediscovery. A horrible sensation grips his insides; he discovered something important here... and whatever it was, taught him about the Sith ways, that much he remembers. The Dark Lord turns towards one of the other bridges, remembering which one led to a trove of knowledge. He immediately heads toward the bridge, further confusing the already concerned Bastila. She falls into step behind Revan's quick pacing, wondering just what it was that had the great Darth Revan, Dark Lord of the Sith, suddenly so concerned himself.

* * *

The Herald-class Shuttle containing Carth Onasi bursts into existence, and the Republic Ace looks forward, relieved to finally see Coruscant. Hundreds of warships patrol the space around the shimmering capitol of the Galactic Republic, but all too soon, he finds himself being locked onto once again.

"Incoming vessel, we have identified your ship belonging to the Sith Empire." came a harsh, angry female voice, but of what species, Carth couldn't really say. "You will power your ship down and prepare to be boarded. Failure to comply will result in your craft being fired upon."

"My name is Carth Onasi, I'm a pilot of the Republic Fleet." Carth hurriedly replies. "I was captured by the Sith during the assault on the Star Forge; but I managed to escape. I need to speak with whoever is in charge of the Fleet immediately!"

For a few crucial moments, their is nothing but silence. Finally, a male voice booms through the intercom.

"Carth Onasi? Is that really you?" said the voice apprehensively.

"Yes, yes Admiral Cede, it's me." Carth sighs in relief.

"Great galaxy, it's good to hear your voice, Carth." Admiral Cede replies, sounding equally relieved. "We'd thought the worst."

"That's not too far off, Admiral." Carth tells him with a sobering tone. "I have a lot to report... none of it good."

"...I see... Come to my flagship, Carth. We can discuss it aboard the _Sojourn_." Admiral Cede replies, not fully succeeding in hiding the downcast in his tone.

"Understood." Carth concurs. Without another word, he receives the location of the _Sojourn_ , and pilots the shuttle towards it.

* * *

 **This was a fun chapter to write! :D Sorry for the delay though! Hopefully you all enjoyed this addition to _Star Wars - Fall of the Old Republic_! Hopefully, it won't take long for me to add another page! Chapter One is now is swing!**


	5. Page 5

For a long time, Admiral Cede stairs through the forward observation viewscreen in utter silence. At last, he heaves a heavy sigh.

"This news is quite a lot to take in." Cede shakes his head in disbelief, squeezing his eyelids shut and pinches the bridge of his nose with his left hand forefinger and thumb. "Darth Malak dead, but we lost Admiral Dodonna and over a hundred Republic warships… And to top it off, Darth Revan has returned..."

Admiral Cede turns back to face Carth, who sits hunched forward behind the holodisplay table, his hands clasped together against his chin. Cede walks over and takes a seat himself.

"What else can you tell me?" Cede asks, his voice hard, but his eyes traitorously pleading.

"Only that Revan chose to imprison me, rather than kill me. He was more than capable, but he let me live." Carth replies, uncertain. Admiral Cede clears his throat, and also hunches forward, looking thoughtful.

"The Republic will lose this war." Cede says suddenly, somberly, causing Carth to plant his forehead against his own knuckles. "With so much of the fleet destroyed, we can only spare enough ships to protect worlds within the Core. The Colonies, the Inner Rim, all of those worlds who depend on the Republic will be lost to the Sith Empire..."

"No." Carth says suddenly, standing up. "There must be something we can do…. Something, _anything_!"

"How do you propose we do that, Carth?" Cede asks, now not masking his concern. "How do you propose we challenge the Sith?"

"I don't know, sir." Carth answers honestly. "But we cannot give up. We can't."

Cede stares at Carth, and sets his jaw.

"You're right. We have to stand together against the darkness." Admiral Cede nods in agreement. "The Republic only falls when good men and women stop fighting for it. There are still planets fighting against the Sith Empire, and we must show them solidarity if we don't wish to lose them. We must fight for victory, or death. For the Republic!"

* * *

Darth Revan stands thoughtfully in the center of a chamber, listening to the recording of a datacron. Bastila stands just outside the door frame, just within earshot. This was the sixteenth datacron Revan had activated and reviewed, and it had become apparent to her that none of them had provided the answers Revan was looking for.

Then again, Revan hadn't told her what he was looking for anyway. But Revan had become engrossed with this most recent datacron, which was evidently a recording Revan had made himself around the time he had first discovered this world.

"…vert Jedi here. There are some within my forces that do not wholly support my leadership, and that will need to change." the recording of Revan's own voice rang out. "Once Alek and I are done here, we plan to travel to Rekkaid. I found the planet's coordinates in one of the data nodules here; though not without considerable repair and effort to power the blasted thing. This world and Rekkiaaid share something in common, they seem to have once belonged to the Sith. Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma were the last Sith Lords, but these reports suggest a separate Sith Empire altogether."

Revan furrows his brow, but does not speak. Rather, he listens until his recording repeats the coordinates of Rekkaid before turning the cubical device off. He sets the datacron down, and straightens, looking quietly thoughtful.

"Bastila." Revan calls evenly. Immediately, the former Jedi enters the room and kneels behind the Dark Lord.

"Yes, my Lord?" Bastila inquires.

"You told me that our patrols discovered Mandalorians in systems nearby?" Revan asks.

"Yes, master. The informants suggested that the Mandalorians seemed to be searching for something." Bastila answers, calling back her memories of the conversation. "Although, they weren't sure of what the Mandalorians could possibly be searching for."

Revan closes his eyes, and a series of images seemingly flash within his mind. When he opens his eyes again, the Dark Lord steps quickly past Bastila, prompting the young woman to rise and follow suit.

"My Lord?" Bastila inquires urgently, following close behind.

"We are heading to Rekkiad. Contact Canderous Ordo, and tell him to meet us there." Revan orders sternly.

"Yes, my Lord." Bastila replies, offering a small bow of her head while keeping up with the Dark Lord's pace.

* * *

 _CHAZWA_

"INCOMING!" shouts a voice, but is drowned out by the thundering of multiple explosions. Sith troopers slowly advance through rubble towards the Republic-supported smuggler haven. Battered Republic soldiers take shots at the approaching Sith battalion, but continue to be pushed back by the sheer overwhelming numbers of not only the Sith troopers, but the thousands of war droids as well.

"Come on, you kath hounds!" Canderous Ordo barks at his squad. "Show me you _d'kuts_ know how to fight a war!"

Canderous heaves his heavy repeating carbine up, and unleashes a torrent of devastating blaster bolts on the enemy cover zone. Several of the bolts catch an unlucky smuggler trying to run to cover further back, and obliterates a duracrete slab serving as several Republic troopers' own cover.

A Sith soldier wearing a red variant of the trooper armor hurls a thermal imploder past the concrete slab, and the resulting explosion completely disintegrates multiple enemy soldiers and locals. Canderous ducks against his cover, chuckling.

"That's more like it!" he hollers pridefully. He pushes himself up off the ground and motions to his troops. "Move it up, scum! We have to take this city by nightfall! Show me you dogs are better than those Pubs! Remember, Verdon Ka and Carida are next to fall!"

His troops woop and cheer, thrusting their blasters skyward before hunching forward and rushing towards the enemy stronghold in the distance. Before Canderous can follow suit, he notices a Herald-class Shuttle fly low overhead, landing on a relatively flat section. Canderous raises a brow and heads towards it. Two Sith troopers take note, and form up at Canderous' flanks, waiting with the Mandalorian and standing at attention.

The shuttle boarding ramp lowers, and an Iktotchi with glowing orange eyes, wearing a dark red cloak debarks, followed by several humans wearing similar cloaks. The Iktotchi steps lively towards Canderous, stopping only a meter or so away.

"Canderous Ordo, I've come to relieve you of your command in this campaign." the Iktotchi claims with a deep, cold voice.

"That so?" Canderous asks, though his tone clearly shows his disdain. "And under who's authority?"

"Our Lord, Darth Revan, has ordered as much." the Iktotchi replies, ignoring Canderous' sarcasm. "It seems Lord Revan desires your involvement in a personal matter."

This revelation completely changes Canderous' demeanor.

"Should have said so sooner." Canderous chortles. "When do I leave?"

"Now. The shuttle shall take you to the _Revenant_ , and you shall join Lord Revan's fleet at Rekkiad." the Iktotchi replies.

Canderous' expression immediately hardens, and he wordlessly hurries past the Dark Jedi.

* * *

For the third time since they had first landed on the broken world's surface, Bastila found herself leaning heavily against the metallic wall of her and Revan's quarters aboard the _Daedalus_. And as with the other two times, Revan observed, as if unsure of how to handle the issue.

How her lover was able to march across the long bridge, through the cavernous pass, and battle against so many Sith, including Sion was beyond her; the man showed no outward signs of the world affecting him. Of course, both Revan and Malak held power she can only dream of, but this place drained her.

"OBSERVATION: IT SEEMS THAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING EXHAUSTION." the assassin droid, HK-47, quips from the doorway, his photoreceptors trained on Bastila. "COMMENT: BEING A SQUISHY MEAT BAG WOULD TAKE A TOLL ON ME AS WELL."

"Shut up you..!" Bastila growls, pushing herself off the wall and trudging towards Revan. "It's that blasted world..."

"Yes. The destruction the Mass Shadow Generator unleashed on Malachor V tore even the Force asunder, I surmise." Darth Revan says, gesturing with his left hand vaguely at the swirling blue and white light of hyperspace beyond the viewport. "Although, I have no actual proof one way or the other."

"How do you resist it, my Lord?" Bastila inquires, attempting to ignore the already throbbing headache forming behind her eyes.

Revan says nothing, but rather shrugs and turns to continue watching the swirl of hyperspace. He was not certain about that himself; rather, he chocked it up to being one of those things still locked away in his memories. He was constantly being reminded just how much the Jedi Council stole from him. How much knowledge of the Dark Side, of the Force as a whole, had they destroyed in their bid to transform him from enemy to pawn?

Bastila suddenly hurries to the refresher, holding one hand to her head, and the other to her stomach. The door slides shut behind her, but Revan still hears the sounds of her illness. There was no way he could bring her back there again. Not without considerable preparation, at any rate.

Bastila splashes her face several times with water, and then dabs herself dry with a neatly folded hand towel. She heaves a heavy sigh, and looks at herself in the mirror. She closes her eyes and leans forward, pressing her forehead against the glass, letting the cool surface bring at least some relief to her aching skull. This was trouble. Malachor V's terrible sensations had ebbed considerably since they had left the world behind; this sickness was not caused by that sensation. Rather, it was an increasingly recurring illness that had been persisting for the last three months. The prospect of what the implications were made Bastila both happy beyond words, and terrified at the same time.

"Something worries you." Revan says evenly, though not turning to face Bastila. Of course he could tell that much, Bastila surmises, their bond through the Force was so great it made lying to him virtually impossible.

"Yes, there is something..." Bastila replies, sitting on their bed, staring at the Dark Lord's back. "It's what we learned from Sion."

While this wasn't completely untrue, she still felt that it was too early to tell him anything about... _that_.

"Darth Nihilus." Darth Revan replies, audibly breathing in through his nose. This time, Revan does turn to look at Bastila. "A being powerful enough to consume the Living Force from others, even to the point of consuming an entire world."

"Sion told us that Nihilus wanders on the fringes of known space, so he could appear at any given time and we'd never be ready for him." Bastila nods gravely. "Even if he is a Sith, he's as much a threat to us as he is to the Republic."

"He's a threat to every living thing." Revan concurs placing his hands on his hips and looking to his left and right at the floor, thinking critically. After a moment, he locks eyes with Bastila. "What is worse, is that I may not have the power to destroy him."

Bastila blinks and her head jerks back in surprise.

"You... You _what_?!" Bastila demands, the edges of her mouth dropping somewhat in disbelief. "But, you're _Darth Revan_! You are the Dark Lord of the Sith! Surely you-"

"No, Bastila." Revan interrupts with a terse tone. "I know the power he uses. It is a horrific ability, truly. Force Drain... or so is one name for it."

Revan begins pacing side to side, touching his forefinger and thumb to his chin. The concentration and angry concern in his eyes shows Bastila how important this issue truly is to her lover.

"It isn't something you can be taught to use, and it isn't something someone else can teach you." Revan explains. "Think of it like Force Lightning; you have to experience it firsthand, and live."

"And surviving being the problem." Bastila shudders. "How could someone like Nihilus come to exist? And how could he have escaped your and Malak's notice?"

"I have no idea." Revan admits, huffing out a heavy sigh. His expression hardens. "But I know someone who might."

"Kriea." Bastila guesses intelligently.

"Yes. Sion said that he and Nihilus were apprenticed to Kriea when she called herself Darth Traya." Revan concurs, recalling the now dead Sith's words.

"Then we should focus our efforts on finding Kriea first." Bastila suggests, to which Revan nods in agreement. "We'll get her to tell us everything she knows about Nihilus."

The two go silent for several minutes, contemplating the threat posed to them and the galaxy. Revan returns to watching the swirl of hyperspace, prompting Bastila to stand up and walk up behind the Dark Lord, raising her hands to rest them on Revan's shoulders, and laying her head against his back.

"What of the war?" Bastila quietly asks.

"We've already won the war." Revan replies evenly. "To be truthful, the war was over sometime before I struck down Malak."

Bastila looks up at the back of Revan's head wonderingly.

"The Republic was already on the ropes, hanging onto its existence by a thread. Malak's brutal way of waging war crippled every world he conquered, and the Republic fleet was already at a third of it's full strength." Revan explains to her. "His victory was as much a psychological one as a physical. Whatever victories the Republic gained were Pyrrhic at best."

"The Republic has two choices at this point. Either they surrender; or be destroyed." Revan continues. He scoffs. "And we both know that they will not surrender."

"It's pointless for them to keep fighting!" Bastila growls indignantly. "They crush themselves against us, see their cities burn, their soldiers die, and yet they cannot accept that they have lost!"

"As long as they have _hope_ , the fighting forces of the Republic will never accept surrender as a viable option." Revan muses. "But if you take away that which gives them hope, then their will to fight vanishes."

"The Jedi Order." Bastila offers tentatively.

"Yes. ...Without the Jedi to lead them, the Republic will crumble." Revan nods, though looking contemplative. "We have much to consider, my love. But victory will be ours, and my vision for the galaxy shall become reality."

After a short while, Revan leaves his and Bastila's quarters, telling her to remain behind and rest. The effects of Malachor V still seemed to weigh heavily on the young woman. The durasteel blast doors leading to the bridge quickly slide open with a soft hiss from the hydraulics, permitting the Dark Lord to enter. He passes the two crimson armored troopers, who immediately snap to attention as he goes. He continues along the raised walkway, hands clasped behind his back, glancing side to side as the vessel's operators and officers go about their business. Finally, he stops and gazes out through the forward transparasteel observation windows. Within a few minutes, the blue swirl of hyperspace becomes streaks of light, and at last, the _Daedalus_ drops out of hyperspace. A white worlds appears in the distance, seemingly growing in size as Revan's warship closes in.

"My Lord." came a professional voice off to Revan's left. Revan turns, and sees a dark skinned human standing at attention. The man is fairly advanced in age, and wears the white uniform of a Sith Imperial Admiral. Like Revan, the man keeps his hands clasped firmly against the small of his lower back. "I'm glad you've joined us on the bridge; I have something to report."

"By all means, Admiral Varko." Revan nods approvingly, giving the man his full attention.

"We received a transmission an hour ago from Ord Radama." Admiral Varko begins. Though his tone is professional, it is tainted with worry, and Revan can already guess at the reason. "It seems that your captive, Carth Onasi, has escaped from his prison."

When Revan does not reply, Varko continues.

"Evidently, he had help." Admiral Varko explains. "His son, Dustil Onasi, appears to have been the architect of Carth's escape."

"I see." Revan replies softly. His expression and voice are neutral. "Did they both escape?"

"No, my Lord." Admiral Varko replies, giving one quick shake of his head. "Carth was able to commandeer one of our transports, but his son was not able to escape capture."

"Casualties?" Revan asks simply.

"Nine, my Lord." Admiral Varko answers. "But the Onasi boy surrendered without further bloodshed. He has been placed in captivity, and has been interrogated to find out if he knows where his father has fled to."

"You needn't interrogate the boy for that," Revan says, rolling his eyes. "Carth is a coward. The first place he will go is where he will feel the safest; the Republic Fleet."

"Of course, sire." Admiral Varko nods. "Dustil Onasi has been kept alive only long enough for you to decide his fate."

"Execute him. Publicly." Revan replies immediately. "Give the holonet something to spread around. I'm sure it will reach his father eventually."

"Shall I have Kalatosh Zavros oversee the execution?" Admiral Varko inquires, to which Revan blinks at the Admiral.

"I had the impression that Zavros was killed on Taris, when Malak destroyed the surface?" Revan asks.

"It appears that he departed Taris and rejoined the fleet sometime before the bombing began." the Admiral replies. The makes no attempt to mask his disgust of the subject. "Malak's decision to destroy Taris was one thing, but he gave our own forces no opportunity to escape the bombardment."

"And now he is dead." Revan reminds the Admiral. "You will find that I do not share in Malak's zeal for destruction."

After a moment, Revan makes his decision.

"In which case, yes. Have Zavros oversee the execution." Revan orders. Better yet, the Dark Lord decides, he will make the order himself. "Admiral, is Zavros present on Ord Radama?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Very well. Open communications with the prison there, and contact Zavros." Revan orders, to which Varko immediately walks away to comply. He returns a few minutes later, stopping behind Revan.

"My Lord, we have Lord Zavros on the holo." Admiral Varko informs him. Revan turns and walks toward a small, circular table which is glowing brightly as it displays a down-scaled image of a Togrutan male wearing what Revan could only describe as an eccentric outfit. A mixture of red and black robes and armor, covering the fallen Jedi from the neck down, and long, triangular pauldrons hang over his arms, connected to the breastplates.

"Dark Lord, I came as soon as I heard your summons." Kalatosh bows his head respectfully. "What would you have of me, my Lord?"

"Word has reached me of Carth Onasi's escape, and that it was his son, Dustil, that made this happen." Revan replies in a demanding tone, making Kalatosh visibly wince.

"Er, yes... yes my Lord, it is so." Kalatosh nervously replies. "The boy surrendered, and is being held in the interroga-"

"I am already aware, Zavros." Revan cuts the Togruta off, prompting Kalatosh to cease talking. "I want the boy executed, publicly. Let the rest of the Empire, the galaxy, know the price of betrayal."

"At once, my Lord." Kalatosh replies, bowing deeply, touching his right palm to his chest. He straightens after a few seconds. "Will there be anything else I may do in your service, my Lord?"

"No. See to your given task." Revan answers with finality. Again, Kalatosh bows, and the transmission ends, making the holoimage of the Togruta flicker out of existence. Pleased, Revan walks back towards the forward observation deck just in time to see another Interdictor-class Cruiser appear from the darkness of space. Admiral Varko joins the Dark Lord, observing the other vessel.

"It seems that the _Revenant_ has arrived. Impeccable timing." the Admiral nods approvingly. "I believe that your Mandalorian friend is aboard, as ordered."

"Very good. Have Canderous Ordo transported here, and begin entering the planet's atmosphere." Revan orders. Admiral Varko nods and walks away to obey the Dark Lord's orders.

* * *

 **Wow... It took me waaaay too long to get back into this story. Every time I'd try to write, I'd just end up staring at the screen. Glad that's over! As always, I hope you enjoyed reading "page 5"! :D**


	6. Page 6

Canderous never particularly enjoyed hopping ships; even during the grand days of the Mandalorian Wars, he greatly disliked shuttling between Koramud's just to receive instructions to go somewhere else; which is why he was more than happy to meet with Revan on the planet below, frozen as the world of Rekkiad is. The ships shudders and stoops, battered by the cold, harsh winds of the blizzard. More than once he'd heard an uncomfortable murmur between the pilot and copilot, leading the burly Mandalorian to curl a lip is annoyance.

For some reason, Revan had asked him to leave the battlefield to come to this desolate place, but he knew better than to question why. Not that he was afraid of Revan; hell, Canderous had entertained the thought of adopting Revan as a brother, although the fact that the man was a spoon-bender made it unlikely. Revan would make a great Mandalorian, really, but the fact of the matter is that many of his people were still quite bitter about losing the war to him. Just another reason Canderous had left to scrape out a new life. Unfortunately, his past always seemed to catch up to him... even here...

"Coming up on the rally point." the pilot calls back to Canderous.

The Mandalorian isn't alone, however - eight Sith Troopers, wearing a slightly modified variant of the standard armor designed to withstand the freezing temperatures of worlds such as this, begin their weapon checks. Canderous smirks; ever since Revan had retaken control of the Sith, its military had undergone drastic re-calibrating. Thanks to revamped training methods, the Empire's armies were becoming dozens of times more efficient than before. Revan had once mused with Canderous what kind of effect there would be if the soldiers were trained by Mandalorians; which had directly led to Canderous reaching out to members of his own clan, as well as some others who had, like him, taken up a life as hired muscle or bounty hunters.

Just another reason why Canderous was feeling uneasy about coming to Rekkiad. The shuttle pitches, shoving its passengers hard against their security belts, as it makes the unmistakable sensation of landing. Clearly, the pilot was forced to drop quickly. Canderous quickly unclips his belt, making sure that his thick jacket is zipped up tight, and covers his face with a clinging cloth and goggles. The boarding ramp hisses open, permitting the Mandalorian and Sith Troopers to pour down the ramp and stomp out onto the surface.

Revan had come prepared, it seemed. Already, a prefabricated base filled with troops and officers has been established, teeming with activity. As Canderous and the troopers make their way to the main tent, he notices a few details about the base. Firstly, several of the repulsor tanks have clear carbon scoring across their surfaces - recent ones at that. The Mandalorian sets his jaw grimly as he enters the tent. Immediately, he is greeted by the sight of Revan and a pair of heavily clothed Sith officers.

"All I'm saying, my Lord, is that we should have run a scan before we started landing troops." an officer complains. The man is somewhat heavy-set, making Canderous wonder how he could possibly have found his way into a leadership position, much less here with Revan himself.

"Looks like you started the party without me; that's impolite, you know." Canderous barks at Revan, making the Dark Lord raise his eyes and smirk. A wide grin sets in on Canderous' face as he steps forward, his arm swinging up to grasp Revan's right forearm; much to the surprise and disdain of the officers. " _Su'cuy,_ Revan. _Copaani gaan_?"

"Welcome, Canderous." the Dark Lord replies, waiving the officers away. "Yes, any help you can give is greatly appreciated. I'm glad you were able to make it quickly."

"Didn't have much choice," Canderous shrugs, walking around the long table, glancing at a flickering holoimage sprouting from a small device on top of it. A rather under-rendered image of what looked like twin, his expression becoming perplexed. "Though, I can't imagine you wanted me to come all this way if it wasn't important."

"It is." Revan replied, his expression a curious mix of irritable and excited. He reaches under the side of the table, and pulls up a helmet; a Mandalorian helmet. Canderous' eyes widen. "It seems that your people and I are here for the same thing."

Canderous' brows furrow as he looks from the helmet to Revan, his expression expectant.

"Judging from the markings, I'd say that you've had an encounter with Clan Jendri..." Canderous surmises.

"My soldiers did, at any rate." Revan replies, his tone indifferent. "Minutes after landing, they've explained."

"How long have you been here?" Canderous asks curiously.

"Six standard hours." the Dark Lord answers, grunting. "I had heard that there were Mandalorians in the system; I didn't know they had already set up on the planet themselves. They're searching for something. Likely the same thing I am."

Canderous shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

"I think I might know..." Canderous admits. "And if you're here, I suppose that it's true. This is where you hid Mandalore's mask after the war."

"Yes, it is." Revan nods, straightening and clasping his hands behind against the small of his back, making Canderous' expression harden. "It is for that reason that I have brought you here."

"...What do you want me to do?" Canderous asks tentatively.

For a moment, Revan looks at Canderous thoughtfully, only further fueling the Mandalorian's uneasy feeling. The Dark Lord looks pointedly at the two towering formations depicted in the holo, drawing Canderous' eyes as well.

"You remember at the end of the Mandalorians Wars, when I slew Mandalore the Ultimate, that I took his mask and hid it away to prevent one of your people from rising to become a new Mandalore." Revan states, slowly pacing to the left and right.

"So you did hide it here, then." Canderous grumbles shrewdly, leaning over the table and gripping the corners. He looks over the holoimage at Revan, who was watching Canderous with an intrigued expression. "...Why now? Why tell me?"

"That answer should already be evident." Revan replies evenly, but his eyes tell the Mandalorian that there is much more to the story. Seeing Canderous' expression, the Dark Lord's own expression darkens. "Besides Bastila, you are the only person I can trust. If you are not the one to reclaim Mandalore's mask, it will risk allowing a leader to rise and fight a war of vengeance against my empire. But for what is to come, I need the Mandalorians to be unified once more; but not as an enemy."

"What are you talking about?" Canderous inquires urgently. "Why do _you_ need the Mandalorians unified? The Republic is as good as gone now; we are basically doing mop up work."

"The crumbling Republic isn't what concerns me." Revan replies with a dismissive hand. "But... I've been getting reports. Katarr has been destroyed."

Canderous' head jerks back, his expression even more perplexed.

"Destroyed? By who?" the Mandalorian asks.

"A rogue Sith... Someone called Darth Nihilus, apparently." Revan replies, making Canderous scoff.

"You're telling me that one guy destroyed an entire planet?" Canderous couldn't believe it, how was such a thing possible?

"The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities." Revan preaches briefly. "And some of those abilities are impossible to defend against. I don't know if I have met this so-called _Darth Nihilus_ , but he _is_ a threat. And not just to me, but to all life in the galaxy."

For a long moment, Canderous stares at Revan, and then lowers his gaze to the twin peaks, his jaw set.

"So... How does uniting my people help you face this _di'kut_?" Canderous asks of the Dark Lord.

"Against such a threat, _anything_ helps. But I know, first hand, what your people can do." Revan replies, smirking at Canderous. "In the end, maybe it _won't_ help, but I'd rather have us all united against this threat, than divided and weak."

For now, Darth Revan decides against telling Canderous of the nightmares he has been having; there is no need to, yet. To Revan's surprise, the Mandalorian chuckles.

"Looks like we're off to save the galaxy again, eh?" Canderous chuckles before jokingly adding, "Don't go talking about _saving the galaxy_ too much; don't want the Dark Lord sounding like some Jedi, right?"

Revan furrows a brow, and the right side of his mouth turns down a bit in a mild scowl.

"At any rate, we should focus on the task at hand." Revan sighs, nodding at the holoimage. Canderous shrugs and gives Revan his full attention. "Commander Breen?"

Stepping up immediately to the summons, the stout officer begins his report.

"Yes, as I was saying earlier Mi'lord, if we had run a scan for life signs, we likely would have been able to avoid losing one of our transports and the troopers on board." Commander Breen huffs in a thick Core World accent, pretending not to have been interrupted by Canderous' arrival.

"We had reports of Mandalorian presence outside the system, but your assertion was noted." the Dark Lord points out.

"Yes, Captain Servius may have told you so, but he was clearly-" Commander Breen starts, only to be silenced by a leer from Revan.

"I didn't ask your appraisal of your fellow officers; I asked what we are doing about it." Revan tells the officer, who winces.

"Er, yes, well, we have sent out probes, two of which found nothing, but this third probe-" Breen holds up a datapad and hands it over to Revan. The live feed shows the Dark Lord a rather well established camp, and a number of heavily armed and armored humanoids. "Has discovered the location of the Mandalorian camp. As you can see, they are clearly preparing themselves for a counter-strike."

"Not from the way I see it." Canderous grunts, looking the recording over. The Sith officer raises a brow at Canderous, who shoots a dirty look right back. "Looks to me like they're packing it in."

"What does it matter whether they are packing up or not?" Commander Breen inquires sarcastically. "They can easily still move-"

"Doesn't matter, actually." Canderous retorts grumpily, interrupting the pudgy officer. "What matters is that you entered their turf, and your troops beat them back. They lost ground, and retreated. They're packing it in and moving to another area."

"So, what? They're just leaving and going somewhere else?" Breen asks haughtily, invoking a look from Canderous that made it clear the Mandalorian thought Breen an imbecile.

"Real quality officers here, Revan." Canderous says, rolling his eyes at Commander Breen and turning to the Dark Lord. "Do they always repeat everything they hear back at you?"

"Whatever the case, we should get moving soon." Revan tells the two, crossing his arms over his chest. "In the meantime, Commander, prepare the camp to move. I want us to be as close to the base of those peaks as possible before nightfall."

Commander Breen snap salutes to the Dark Lord, and promptly heads to exit the tent, pulling a warming mask up over his mouth and nose to combat the cold. Canderous looks back at the twin peaks, his eyes now revealing a gritty determination.

* * *

If anything could really surprise Canderous these days, he would have to chalk up today as being one of them. No sooner had Darth Revan's command to pack up been announced than the Sith troopers sprung into action. Their efficiency and speed would give even Mandalorian mobile bases a run for their credits. Revan's personal battalion, no doubt. Despite the encampment being only a few hours old, the troopers made no complaints. Plasteel containers were loaded and strapped down to repulsor crafts; each vehicle mounted with a well maintained blaster cannon.

The instant the last tent was folded and loaded up, they were all stepping onto one of the two troop transports. Canderous, on the other hand, was busy speaking into a comlink. When he shut the device down, Canderous would find Revan watching from a few feet away. There is no suspicion in the Sith Lord's eyes; only what Canderous knew was anticipation. Not wanting to disappoint, the Mandalorian walks over to Revan, his boots crunching atop the thick snow.

"I take it you were able to contact your clansmen?" Revan asks expectantly.

"Yeah; well, they contacted me first, actually." Canderous replies, sounding oddly somewhat perturbed.

"When did they do so?" the Dark Lord asks calmly.

"A few weeks ago. I was still running the show during the invasion of Chazwa." Canderous informs Revan. "It was during some downtime during the battle; we'd just taken out their shields protecting a city. They... contacted me. Told me they were looking for the Mask."

"And you turned them down?" Revan inquires, raising a brow.

"I walked away from all that a long time ago, you know that." Canderous tuts. "We were a broken people after the war; and I was already neck deep in conquering the planet. Besides, I would never abandon a battle for what I thought was a wild bantha chase."

Canderous glances at his comlink before stowing it in one of his coat's inner pockets.

"Besides, my oath to you is more important." the Mandalorian adds in, clapping a hand on the Dark Lord's shoulder.

"And what did they have to say?"

"This time? They're glad I decided to show up." Canderous chuckles. "I haven't seen most of 'em in years. Plus, I've given them the coordinates to where we decided would be best to hunker down for the night."

A raised brow from Revan catches the Mandalorian's attention.

"Don't worry; I've already let them in on the details. The wont attack us; but just don't expect some of them to be as friendly as me." Canderous warns calmly. "You know how I feel about the war, about working with you. But some Mandalorians just don't share my opinion. Some are still angry that we lost; they'll probably call you Revan the Butcher."

"As good a name as any, I suppose." Revan chuckles, returning Canderous' shoulder clap. "At least we don't have to sneak in and call me by a different name."

"You never know, it could work." Canderous laughs back. The two heave themselves onto the transport, and within moments the vehicles are off.

The trip is long, and uneventful. Hours pass by, but at last, the twin peaks loom over the large group. The moment the vehicles stop, the Sith troopers hurry to work. The prefabricated bases certainly came in handy for this sort of thing; especially given the threatening appearance of those clouds in the distance, Canderous surmises as he leers at the sky. They weren't even half-way through setting up before a slight alarm stalls the progress. Thankfully, Revan waived the troops down as Canderous stands up tall to make himself as noticeable as possible. And it was immediately clear why; a vanguard of trudging humanoids in thick coats and formidable armor approach the camp. Canderous calls out to them, walking briskly; or as briskly as one could through the couple feet deep snow. But when what Revan could identify as a woman steps in front of the group, takes off her helmet and gives one of the coldest glares Revan has seen in a long time, the mood changes.

"Su cuy'gar... Canderous." the woman calls out, her raven black hair being slowly speckled in snowflakes. It was a friendly greeting, but her tone suggests a terse irritation. Canderous sets his jaw, and walks over to the woman, stopping only a few inches from her. Revan could feel the tension between the two.

"It's good to see you... Veela." Canderous replies. Several uncomfortable moments pass as the two stare into each other's eyes; only to finally be cut when several Mandalorians walk up and surround the two. Their laughter and back-clapping breaks the tension at last, even eliciting mutual smirks from Veela and Canderous. After a few minutes, Canderous and Veela lead the troop of Mandalorians over to the Sith camp. Canderous nods at Revan. "Revan, I'd like you to meet Veela."

"A pleasure." Revan replies calmly, approaching the Mandalorians. His eyes lock onto Veela's, and she leers right back defiantly. "Is she a relative of yours?"

"I'm his _wife_ , Butcher." Veela growls with clear contempt. This revelation actually surprises the Dark Lord, who flicks his eyes to Canderous. The broad Mandalorian only grins and shrugs, as if to say _you never asked_.

"Well then, even more of a reason to be pleased." Revan says, recovering from the surprise. "We are still setting up the camp, but feel free to relax."

"You call _that_ setting up?" Veela snorts, jerking her chin at the Sith troopers who now resumed their work. She turns back to her clanspeople. "Oya! Let's show these chumps how Mando'a set up a camp!"

The order elicits an excited group cheer, and the Mandalorians surge forth. The two groups work fast, and well, quickly finishing the Sith camp before quickly putting up huts of their own; and in good time. As the last of the plasteel containers are set down, the great storm that had been bearing down on them finally begins in earnest. Even with the thick winter clothing, staying out in the open during a blizzard was foolish. Sith troops and Mandalorians alike hunker down in their tents, with Revan oddly finding himself in the Mandalorians' main tent with Canderous, Veela, and who Canderous told him were Edric and Grizzer.

His reason for being there was not as odd.

"So... it is here." Veela breathes, staring down at the large wooden table the five stand around.

"It is." Revan confirms. "I hid it in a small cavern high above us in the Twin Spears. I don't remember the exact details of the cave, but I do know that the Mask is there."

Veela's eyes flick from Revan to Canderous, who nods at her.

"Why help us now?" Veela asks.

"Because helping you, helps me." Revan replies honestly. "There are greater threats in the galaxy, and if helping the Mandalorian Clans reunite under a new Mandalore helps me protect the galaxy from those threats, then so be it."

"Ain't you the Sith Emperor, or something?" Edric asks, sounding perplexed. "What do you care?"

"I've said this to others, and I'll say it here; I am not Malak." Revan retorts calmly. "I built the Sith Empire to replace the laboring Galactic Republic; not to lay waste to the galaxy."

"What difference does it make if you do?" Grizzer pipes up.

"The difference is that my Empire will not stagnate." the Dark Lord answers, his voice showing determination. "If the galaxy is to survive the threats I have foreseen, then it needs to be led by a powerful, unified entity. Not split up by greedy, squabbling delegates."

"So you're saying that you're expecting a war, after this war you've got going on with the Republic?" Veela asks inquisitively.

"That, or something worse." Revan nods, turning his eyes back to her. "And bringing your people together indeed serves my purposes to keep the galaxy thriving."

For a few moments, the Mandalorians only trade glances. Eventually, Veela finally smiles; bringing out the beauty masked under her stern expressions.

"Well alright then." Veela says, slapping her hands on the table. "Sounds to me like we may have a worthy battle or two coming up! And tomorrow, Mand'alor will rise again! Sounds to me like a reason to celebrate! Grizzer, let everyone know the good news! And let's see how well this _Emperor_ here holds his liquor!"

* * *

 **At long last, I have completed Page 6! Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I hope you enjoyed it, and look forward to Page 7!**


	7. Page 7

If there was anything to be learned about Mandalorian celebrations, however small or large, it would be that their ale is quite potent. Had Darth Revan lacked the ability to purge is body of chemicals, he has no doubt that the Mandalorian drink would have knocked him out cold with as many as Canderous insisted that he drink. A hangover would be the worst thing for a climb as treacherous as this. After a night of relative merriness, the morning brought out an air of suspicion and irritability; particularly, if not exclusively, from Canderous' wife. A brief argument had broken out between her and several of Revan's officers - whether or not Sith Troopers would accompany them for the climb.

Eventually, an agreement was grudgingly accepted; only four Sith Troopers would join in the climb, along with six of the Ordo Clan members. Those left behind were tasked with maintaining and protecting the base at the foot of the Twin Peaks. They had left in the morning, just after daybreak; which is just as well, it was taking a long time to climb. Already, two and a half hours had passed, all the while the exposed part of Revan's forehead had gone partially numb as freezing air coalesced on the skin. Some of their small group had voiced some concern regarding which of the peaks to climb first, but Revan was already certain that they had camped at the foot of the correct one. This belief was further impressed upon his confidence as he felt a presence growing stronger as they made their slow ascent.

At last, they reached a flat surface. Canderous, of course, was the first one to reach the natural platform, and quickly helped pull others up. After taking a few moments to rest and refresh their throats with water, Revan stood to observe. Taking notice, Canderous stood, quickly followed by Veela. Their eyes follow Revan's gaze, settling upon a small, barely noticeable opening in the jagged ice and stone wall.

"This is it, then?" Veela breathes, the anticipation in her voice betraying the renewed disdain she clearly felt towards the Dark Lord, who glances at the woman.

"Yes... I remember this cave." Revan replies, his tone flat. He steps towards the opening with purpose. The Sith and Mandalorians all stood, accompanying the Dark Lord into the narrow cave. Leading the way with a glow rod, the group descends through the curling path, eventually coming upon a somewhat wide tomb. At the center of the room lays a lone, stone sarcophagus. The surface is unremarkable, lacking any particular markings save for long worn runes of an unintelligable language, but Revan is still able to recognize it. He expects a remark from Veela or the other Mandalorians, but when none comes, the Sith Lord proceeds. He raises his right hand, invoking the Force to move the heavy stone slab off. He steps forward, peering into the sarcophagus, and is greeted by several things; where once a skeleton had laid was now only filled with a thin layer of dust. Only a pair of objects occupy the space.

Revan reaches in, picking something up and turning to the Mandalorians. The Ordos all seemed to lose the air in their lungs, taken in by the legendary mask of their people. Canderous steps forward, carefully taking the mask from Revan, and gazes at the mask. Revan, on the other hand, turns from them and back to the skeleton and the second item; a Datacron. The Dark Lord reaches in, carefully extracts the fragile cube, and stows it safely in a pouch on his hip. Canderous, apparently curious, looks up from them mask and gazes over at the empty sarcophagus.

"Lord Dramath the Second's resting place." Revan tells the Mandalorian. "Roughly two years before the Mandalorian Wars began, Mandalore the Ultimate was approached by a being with skin the color of blood - A member of the Sith species. The being told Mandalore that he was the emissary of an incredibly powerful master - a descendant of the Sith Lord who drove Dramath into exile. This emissary convinced Mandalore to help him find this tomb."

Canderous blinks and looks at Revan, as do the other Mandalorians.

"For what?" Veela asks, sounding annoyed and confused. "Why would Mandalore the Ultimate help some nobody find a sack of bones?"

"I assume to collect them." Revan answers, gesturing at the empty resting place. "But also, to influence and eventually manipulate Mandalore into war against the Republic."

This revelation comes as considerable surprise to the Mandalorians present.

"You're saying we were _manipulated_ into a war with the Republic?" Veela growls, clearly angered by the notion. "Impossible!"

"The Force can do terrible things to the mind." Revan lectures. "Look at what the Jedi tried to do to me; they tried to wipe out my memories - reprogram me as a loyal servant of the Republic after my capture."

"How do you know this?" Canderous asks, completely serious. But his tone suggests that, unlike his wife, he is willing to accept the truth when he hears it. "Did coming here help you remember this?"

Revan doesn't reply verbally right away, but nods.

"I learned that from Mandalore the Ultimate as he was dying." Revan explains. "I know Sith sorcery when I see it; and Mandalore was clearly under the emissary's control. Only as death took him was he freed from its grasp. The Datacron told Malak and I more about Dramath; that his half brother, Tenebrae, killed their father and sought to destroy him as well. Dramath fled here with his servants, and eventually died of natural causes. His servants entombed his remains here."

Suddenly, a quick motion from Veela drew Revan's attention.

"You think we'd accept that lie?!" Veela growls furiously. "We went to war for glory! To test ourselves in the ultimate war!"

"A war that left your people weakened and broken." Revan harshly barks back. As if something clicked in his mind, Revan's brow furrows and his jaw slightly gapes. His gaze became distant. But Veela took no notice.

"Only once _you_ got involved!" Veela growls.

"Veela, now isn't the time for this..." Canderous reasons. "What's done is done; the war was lost. But now, we have a chance to rebuild!"

Canderous holds the mask up towards Veela.

"You can lead the clans of Mandalore back! Unify them once more!" Canderous presses, but this only seems to further agitate Veela.

"You can't be serious; if anyone should lead us, it is you!" Veela argues. "You could have led us, led Clan Ordo, but you _left_!"

"I had to, Veela..." Canderous replies, but clearly hurt. "The clans were scattered, broken. There was nothing for me but to move on after the war."

"There was _us_ , Canderous!" Veela yells, leveling her blaster at Revan's face. "Your clan! Your people! _ME!_ But instead, you went and became a hired muscle, and then you became the lapdog of Revan the Butcher!"

Revan gestures to his Sith troopers, who had all raised their blaster rifles. Their action had caused the other members of the Mandalorians to raise their own weapons, making for a very tense stand off in a very cramped space. At his motion, the troopers hesitantly lower their rifles.

"I won't defend my choices, but I _did_ make them." Canderous counters. "But we can make things right - With this mask, we can repair what was lost, what was broken. But we _need_ to do it together!"

"You mean with _him_?!" Veela growls, her finger tightening on the trigger of her blaster.

"Listen to sense, Veela." Revan warns. "Bloodshed here is pointless, and stupid. Don't throw away everything over so little."

Veela's face flushes red as her temper rises further.

"Nothing!? _NOTHING?!"_ Veela shouts. "You said that we were nothing but puppets in someone else's game! That our clans were destroyed for nothing! That our war was so- ..."

Veela's eyes widen as her body suddenly tenses and her arms swing downwards. Her entire body becomes as rigid as a board, making Canderous' head jerk back in surprise. He turns to Revan, who was holding out his left hand, his eyes focused intensely on the female Mandalorian. Revan flicks his wrist, and Veela's eyes roll back as she loses consciousness. Canderous nearly drops the mask as he moves to catch Veela in his arms as Revan lets go of her.

"She's sleeping." Revan says reassuringly to his friend and the clan members. "The last thing we need is a senseless firefight. Take what I said for what you will, but it _is_ the truth. I wish I could tell you more, but I only remember so much."

Revan turns his eyes to Canderous, who looks back at the Dark Lord and sighs.

"How long will this last?" Canderous asks.

"Long enough for us to get back down to base." Revan replies. The Dark Lord then raises a hand, gesturing at the mask. "But right here, right now, a choice must be made."

Canderous sets his jaw, looking from Veela to Revan, and finally to the Mask of Mandalore. He raises the mask to Revan, letting the Dark Lord take ahold of it, and then pulls Veela up onto his back.

"Help me secure her." Canderous barks at his clansmen. "I don't want her falling off on the way down."

* * *

Commander Breen stands, arms crossed over his chest, as he gazes at the tactical display holomap. It had been a full day, maybe a bit more, since the last time the base had heard from their dark master. The thought crosses the commander's mind that, perhaps, the Mandalorians had played dirty, perhaps they used this opportunity to kill the Dark Lord! After all, he _is_ responsible for their defeat during the Mandalorian War.

However, no sooner had he finished the thought than did Darth Revan step into the tent; along with several Mandalorians and Sith Troopers. For a moment, one of the Mandalorians gave the Commander a horrible start. The man is wearing that mask!

"My Lord..?" Commander Breen tentatively looks from the Mandalorian to Revan, looking for reassurance. Revan merely gestures to Canderous, who steps forward confidently.

"I am Mandalore the Preserver." Canderous announces. "I will reunite the Mandalorian clans, and together we will fight alongside your Empire."

"I... well that's... that's wonderful!" Commander Breen claps his hands together, still appearing uneasy. "With your people swelling our ranks-"

"We are not _joining_ the Sith Empire." Canderous interjects gruffly. "We will fight alongside it, but we are _not_ its pawns."

"Mandalore the Preserver here will be assisting in the war, and against an enemy we both share." Revan informs the commander. "In exchange for their assistance, a section of the galaxy will be carved out for the Mandalorians. Mandalorian Space, if you will."

"Is that wise, my Lord?" Commander Breen asks, sounding modestly defiant. "What is to stop a second Mandalorian War, if they should choose to engage in war against us, once the Republic is gone?"

"You'll just have to worry about that later." Canderous growls, but clearly amused by the commander's concern.

"The Mandalorians are our allies, Commander." Revan replies evenly. "But one day, indeed, perhaps they will wish to test themselves against us. But that is not now, not today. Set aside your concerns, and serve the Empire to your fullest."

"Ah, yes, of course Dark Lord." Commander Breen replies in a much more professional tone, even offering a polite bow.

Revan turns back to Canderous, who was already heading out of the tent, and follows. The two make their way through the thick snow to the Mandalorian camp, and enter the large tent. Within, Veela was now sitting up, her eyes unfocused. She shakes her head as she realizes Canderous is standing in front of her, her eyes tracing up her husband's body and finally resting on the mask. Despite her earlier anger, she seems unable to help herself from smiling.

"We have a lot of work to do, Veela." Canderous tells his wife, lowering himself to rest on one knee and resting a hand on Veela's right shoulder. "We are going to reunite the clans, and I'll need your help."

"You have it." Veela replies, sounding somewhat less groggy. She looks past Canderous, locking her gaze with the yellow-red glowing orbs under the shadow of Revan's hood. "You... Butcher... I hate you, for what you did to us... But... thank you."

"Then use that hatred, that anger, and put it to good use." Revan lectures friendlily. "Turn it into passion, into strength. Turn it on our shared foes; and let remind the galaxy once more why the Mandalorians are a culture to be respected."

* * *

-Coruscant-

"This is an _outrage_!" exclaims a pale-olive skinned being. The humanoid being's left eyelid twitches as he whips his body around, gesturing at the Republic Senate. "Not one year ago, Vulta was the site of a battle between the Sith Empire, and this Republic! You defended us then, and our people shed blood alongside your warriors; yet _now_ you abandon us?!"

"You are not being abandoned, Representative Ru'Quaan." the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic responds, his tone suggesting a calm understanding. A diplomatic tone. "This war has taken an unbelievable toll on the Republic's fighting capability. If the Empire's fleet appears again-"

"They _shall_ return, Chancellor!" the Vultan proclaims, turning dramatically to the Chancellor, purposefully making his extravagant robes flutter. "And what force would you send? What _can_ you send!? A token force? Perhaps a large bulk armada to boot the Imperials out _after_ they conquer us? How many more of our people must suffer?!"

"It is the Sith Empire that is responsible for the suffering in the galaxy." the Chancellor calmly argues, but the vein throbbing on his temple shows his frustration.

"Bah! You avoid to answer the question!" a female Vultan speaks up, shaking her head, causing the tied-back fleshy strands on her skull to swing lightly.

From the observatory section, Carth Onasi watches morosely. Admiral Cede stands next to him, hands clasped behind his back.

"I can't blame them for being afraid." Admiral Cede says to Carth, but keeping his gaze fixed on the dramatic scene unfolding. "We were forced out of the Kanz Sector less than a month ago. And now Jebble and Serroco were taken by the Empire. The Sith are literally on their doorstep; both of those worlds are only a single jump away from Vulta. Within three hours, the Sith fleet can move in from those systems and hit them with a two pronged strike. Without our fleet there, Vulta will fall within days."

Carth lets out a heavy sigh, heavily hanging his head, using the door frame to prop himself up.

"What about the forces still on the planet?" Carth asks, though clearly dreading the answer.

"Our military presence there is too light to hold the Sith armies back for long." Admiral Cede grumbles. "A few weeks, maybe a few months if they're lucky. But only a few Vultan cities would have adequate protection; the rest of the world is vulnerable to an invading force. And if I know Revan, that's precisely the kind of tactic he would favor. Seize the rest of the planet, and then surround and choke off the opposing forces."

Admiral Cede turns to Carth.

"As inspiring as what you said to me was at the time, the reality doesn't change." the Admiral sighs. "When Revan and Malak began this war, their combined ferocity and tactics stripped us of member systems faster than anything we faced during the Mandalorian War. When Malak took charge, his brutality and total warfare tactics lost us even more worlds. Some worlds lost completely... But we were adjusting to them... We may have formed some kind of actually successful counter measure; but with Revan at the helm again..."

"What is the Jedi Council saying?" Carth asks.

"Hard to say, really. I honestly think that the Jedi are even more terrified by this than we are, if that's possible." Admiral Cede shrugs. "They've lost thousands of Jedi during this war; either killed or joining with the Sith Empire. Don't get me wrong; whenever we have Jedi leading the charge, our success rates are much higher. But even the Jedi can't stand up to overwhelming numbers for long."

The two men turn back to the Senate gathering; or what was left of it. More than a hundred systems had seceded from the Republic; either after having been conquered, or deciding to secede from the Republic in anger over their worlds being left defenseless against the encroaching Empire. And most of those who seceded turned around and joined the Empire out of fear. Many of them believed that being occupied was a far better option to fighting back against a foe with seemingly infinite resources.

"CARTH! CARTH ONASI!" yells a voice, followed by hurried footsteps. The Republic Ace turns to see a thin Chagrian woman rushing up to them, only to be blocked by a pair of Republic guards. "Carth, something's happening on the holo! It-it's your son!"

If flesh could truly freeze instantly, his heart and stomach would most certainly have right then and there. Wordlessly, Carth hurries to follow the woman. She takes him to a more private room and switches the viewscreen on. Almost immediately, Admiral Cede enters the room as the image of Dustil Onasi, his face covered with bruises and untreated cuts, appears kneeling before an infuriated-looking Togrutan.

"Gentlebeings of the galaxy; I am Lord Kalatosh Zavros, loyal servant of Darth Revan. Today, I intend to send an important message; one that this lad, _Dustil Onasi_ , will help me deliver." Kalatosh proclaims, his angry frown turning into a vicious smirk. "This lad was training to be a Sith, but he made one mistake; assisting in the escape of the fugitive, Carth Onasi, his _father_."

Admiral Cede raises a hand to cover his mouth; the look of dreaded understanding appearing in his eyes. Carth is unable to turn from the image of his son.

"This was an act of _treason_. The Empire, under Darth Revan's renewed leadership, is one of greater tolerance, and meritocratic opportunity for not just humans, but for all sentient beings. I am proof of this." Kalotosh continues, pacing a circle around Dustil. "But what we shall never tolerate, is treason. Betrayal of one of our own will never be allowed to escape justice. Carth Onasi was a prisoner of war, captured and placed in custody away from the war. With his release, a renewed escalation of the war will soon follow! For this crime of treason, a vile act of willful assistance of the enemy, father or not, is only suited with the punishment of _death_."

"No... no no no...!" Carth mutters, tears welling up in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. His heart begins to hammer against his chest as horror slips into every crevasse of his being. Admiral Cede walks up beside Carth, and grips the Republic Ace's shoulder tightly, also still staring at the viewscreen, but with a barely contained rage welling up within.

Kalotosh stops pacing behind Dustil, and unclips his lightsaber. A fiery crimson blade bursts to life with a low growl, and illuminates the two beings. As Kalotosh raises the weapon, the light bathes Dustil's face in an eerie shadow. Suddenly, Dustil's head whips up.

"FOR THE REPUBLIC!" the boy shouts as loud as his lungs could muster. Kalotosh's face twists up in anger, and he brings the weapon down swiftly.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Carth screams, tears pouring from his eyes. Carth practically loses his ability to stand, falling forward against the table and slamming his fists onto the surface. "YOU BASTARDS! YOU BASTAAAARDS!"

The Republic Ace, ruined by witnessing his only child's death, is reduced from a hero of the Republic to a sobbing, grief stricken and broken man.

* * *

 **Hello all! I hope you enjoyed this page, as dark as it got here at the end. I really debated with myself for a while about how to handle Dustil's fate. I toyed with the idea of having Dustil surprise Kalotosh and escape his restraints, leading to a short battle between the two, but decided that this would work out a little less cliche. With more and more worlds falling under the sway of Revan's Empire, is there anything the Republic can do? With Page Seven coming to a close, so does our first chapter!**

 **Up next, Chapter Two of Star Wars: Fall of the Old Republic. What awaits Revan in the fringes of the Outer Rim? With the Sith Empire tightening its grip in the Trailing Sectors, and pushing Coreward, can the Republic even hope to push back? Or will the arrival of unforeseen allies shift the tide of war? But as the Empire begins to strangle what remains of the Republic, Darth Revan and his closest allies push on with their own agenda. With the information gained from Sion, Revan now seeks Darth Traya and Darth Nihilus; the only threats to his Empire, or is there another?**


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